Sailor X
by Artemissan
Summary: It is 15 years after the end of the anime series and a new group of Sailors must rise up to battle new evils.
1. SX#1 - Manhattan Project

Sailor X #1Manhattan Project

By: John Brengman

Edited by: Jamie Lewis &

Thomas Schell

The windows of the room let in the star-speckled night. The light of the stars paled, however to the light 

of the nearby planet, it's light reflecting blues and whites to everything nearby, including the lunar base that was home to the Luna Foundation, and the operational center for the Sailor Scouts.

The light from Earth pooled brilliantly in shafts of light shining through the windows that dominated the far wall of the control room. The rest of the room was lined with various computer stations that monitored the Earth, the solar system, and various other things. No one manned the control room at this hour of the night, so the computers seemed content to hum and whir to themselves.

All of this pleased Luna, basking purrfully on the throbbing top of one of the control stations. "Oh, there are times when it is good to be a cat." The thought drifted lazily through her mind as she soaked in the rhythmic pulsing.

The lights on the control panel began flashing an insistent red.The alarm clamored for attention.Luna abruptly awoke.Taking one look at the control panel that had betrayed her, Luna jumped down and headed for the hallway towards the residence quarters.

Reaching Brandy's room, Luna burst in and landed on the sleeping girls bed with a quick leap.She hurriedly pawed at the covers. "Wake up, sleepy-head!" Luna thought, then quickly dodged the hand that lightly batted her away. "Not now, Cat," Brandy said sleepily.

Luna growled at Brandy's use of her 'pet name' and bit her on the ear.

"Hey!" Brandy yelped as she was jolted awake, "what was that for?" However, by the time she finished asking the question, Luna was already bolting for the door on her way to rouse the next sleeping Sailor.

"Damn it, Cat," Brandy muttered as she began to dress…

**== * * *==**

"How could this happen?" Bethany inquired, her blue eyes looking worriedly toward the windows.

"I don't know yet," Melissa replied, her gaze focused intently to the computer monitors, her brain processing the information they were feeding her. "I'm not even sure where to start."

"Ask Artemis to check for weird energy readings," chimed in a hollow voice from the windows.

Bethany nodded and leaned against Melissa's chair. "Yes, ask that."

Bethany obligingly fed in the question. The response was not promising, to say the least.

"Infinity particles?" Melissa gasped. "What are those?"

"They are rare, dangerous, and unstable," Vanessa answered as she entered the control room while combing her long white hair. As the guardian of the Timegate, Vanessa was considered the know-it-all of the group. "Infinity particles combine with certain chemicals to form reactions.They then perpetuate themselves, generating more and more particles.

The others looked at each other as if Vanessa had explained it perfectly.

Cassandra reacted first. "Oh yeah," she quipped. "I buy it."

An offended Vanessa was quick to counter-attack. "Well, you would understand it better if you paid a bit more attention in physics class.It's a _chain-reaction_."Vanessa spoke as though telling a 5 year old what grass is.

Cassandra would have none of it.She shook out her long wavy red hair and her eyes flashed angrily. She growled, "The TEACHER goes too fast! I can't keep up!"

Melissa was about to remind Cassandra that 'Aunt Amy' had volunteered to help them out with the more difficult areas of advanced physics when Luna stopped the conversation with a loud whistle."Let's stay focused, girls!This is no time to bicker!"

"What can we do about this situation?"The voice from the windows queried.Vanessa spared a withering glance for Cassandra before going to a secondary control panel."I'll check," she stated in a clipped voice as she began entering inquiries into the computer.After several minutes where all attention in the room was on her, Vanessa straightened up and turned to face the others. "Artemis says that whatever happened did not happen within the past day. 

"In fact," Vanessa continued, "the decay of the infinity particles suggests that the accident took place more than fifty years ago."

Dead silence filled the room as the implications of Vanessa's statement sank in.At about that time, Rachel entered the room. "Unless the galaxy's going to explode, someone's in big trouble!" Bethany glanced uncomfortably over at Rachel. Although the group did not yet know each other well, one thing was etched in stone: never disturb Rachel's sleep.

The circumstances in this case were different.

Sandra stepped forward from the shadows near the window into the light provided by the control room. "Be careful what you wish for," she said, her face somber as she pointed at the window.

The planet Earth was gone.

== * * *==

The conversation continued as the girls and Luna headed towards the chamber containing the massive Timegate.

"Do we have any idea who's behind this?" Sandra asked.

"No," Vanessa replied, "but very few people have had access to Infinity particles. Queen Serenity forbade anyone in the kingdom from possessing them.Even the rulers of the Negaverse were never insane enough to use the particles they claimed they had."

"So, let me get this straight," Brandy said with an angry toss of her long blonde mane, "we don't even know who has these particles?"

"You have the rather annoying knack," Luna stated, "of being absolutely correct at the most unfortunate times."

Rachel broke in, sick of the verbal jousting between Luna and Brandy."Ok! So, we go back in time and stop this at the source.Sounds simple enough. My question is, if Earth was blown away fifty years ago, why are we still here?"

The girls reached a set of metal double doors and stopped. "You may thank the Timegate for that," Vanessa replied."It generates a field which protects us from the timestream."

"Oh!" Cassandra exclaimed. "Sort of like those thingamajiggies of yours…"

Vanessa sighed. "Yes.Exactly like those." She pushed a few buttons on a panel and the metal doors separated.The room beyond was dominated by a huge translucent dome-like structure built into the floor.As the others watched, Vanessa stepped forward and raised her right hand in the air.She shouted, "TIMEGATE ACTIVATION!" The ring on her right hand pulsed, and shot a green beam of light into the dome. The light washed over the dome, and then shot back like a boomerang and engulfed Vanessa.The group stood and watched while Vanessa and the portal communed mentally.When Vanessa finally broke the connection, the green light continued to splash and flicker about the dome as the portal waited for further commands. 

Vanessa walked over to a small table along one side of the room and pulled out several devices.She returned and glanced at the group. "Are we ready?"

Sandra stepped forward. "Someone needs to stick around here in case something else happens while we're gone.Brandy, Beth, keep track of us. The rest of you," she gestured toward the portal, "let's go." 

"Hold on!" Brandy snapped."Nothing is going to happen here.It's already happened!You guys are the ones in danger!Cat can handle things here, right cat?"Brandy turned to Luna and was met with a flat glare."r- right?"

Sandra's lips were tight as she took a step towards Brandy."In case we don't come back.Someone has to be here.There has to be something, that you could do…"Sandra looked tensely into Brandy's eyes."Please."There was fear there too, and the raw honesty of someone telling a harsh truth.Brandy met her gaze for a moment.Then the defiance faded out of her.She nodded once.

"Don't worry about us," Beth stepped up behind Brandy and squeezed her shoulder.We'll take care of it."She smiled reassuringly at Sandra and the other scouts.Brandy smiled too, including the whole group in her apology.

With that, the four senshi stepped into the portal, and into the past…

Brandy and Luna exchanged glances."they'll be ok, Luna," Brandy said.

"Of coursethey will," Luna replied.Somehow, neither of them sounded sure.Beth simply looked silently at the Timegate.

== * * *==

Tinian IslandAugust 4, 19457:15 pm

_"One scientist bet on the chances that the blast would ignite the atmosphere. _

_He offered a side wager on whether it would destroy the entire world…or _

_only New Mexico."_

_ _

-Peter Jennings, "Hiroshima: Why the Bomb was

Dropped" (ABC News, 1995)

The staging area for the secret operation against the Japanese homeland was a small cluster of buildings grouped around an airfield on a scrap of land amidst the blue waters of the Pacific. One prefab corrugated metal building stood near the end of the airstrip.It was under heavy guard.

Inside stood storage cases, neatly stacked in columns that reached towards the ceiling. The cases dominated half of the building. The other half was empty except for a single bay-loaded bomb that sat upon its storage stand in an area roped off from the rest of the building. 

A dark figure kneeled by the cylindrical device. He opened an access panel and inserted a flat circular object about the size of a wristwatch.It's magnetic bottom easily attached to the inside skin of the bomb. The figure replaced the access panel, and stood looking over at the two prone forms laying unceremoniously in a heap nearby. 

With a slight bow to the unconscious guards, the dark-robed man murmured, "May your aim be true…although that is not really necessary. Either way, my plan will succeed."

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" The robed man whirled and looked around franticly for the source of the voice…and saw a group of women standing just inside the huge doors of the building. 

**"MOON PRISM POWER!" Sandra shouted as Vanessa placed a small star-shaped device on one of the boxes and activated it.. Sandra's shout was followed by, "MERCURY POWER!","MARS POWER!", and "PLUTO POWER!" as the senshi began their transformations.**

The Sailors began to glow.Sandra brought her fist down, and pointed at the villain,"I am Sailor Moon, Vanguard of Justice! I will right wrongs and vanquish evil!" The glow around the Sailor Scouts faded, and her voice called menacingly from the darkness, "and that, my friend, means you!"

"I am sorry I cannot greet you with an equally impressive display," the dark-robed man said urbanely. "Allow me to introduce myself.I am Scaramanga, Master of Darkness.I regret leaving the company of such beautiful ladies, but I do have a prior engagement.I leave you to your doom."

"Not so fast!" Sailor Mars shouted from nearby a stack of crates. "MARS FIREBOLT BLAST!" A searing firebolt erupted from Mars' outstretched hand and shot angrily toward the villain. Scaramanga quickly dodged the blast, and it slammed into the far wall, immolating some crates.

"Careful now," Scaramanga scolded."You wouldn't want to damage such an important part of history, now would you?"

"I hate to admit it," Sailor Moon thought to the Scouts, "but he's right. No beam attacks near that bomb."

"Yeah," Mercury growled."Dodge THIS!MERCURY SHARD!" A thick crystalshard appeared in her hands as she called upon the power of her patron planet. "Eat this, jerk!" she yelled as she hurled the shard at Scaramanga.He grunted as he caught it and crushed it in one hand.

"You are trying my patience." Scaramanga stated. "DARKFORCE ATTACK!"Tendrils of dark energy slid out ofScaramanga, slamming into the stacks of crates.They showered down upon the senshi as they tried to scurry out of the way.

As Sailor Moon picked herself up from under a pile of debris with the help of Sailor Mars, she thought to the group, "Pluto, are those devices still working?"

"Yes," Pluto replied. "We are still outside the timeline."

"But I am afraid you are out of time," quipped Scaramanga with a vulpine smile at his own joke.He was now floating above the bomb.His face twisted grotesquely, as he screamed"ZAI!"On command, a scorching energy bolt erupted from his fingers and stabbed Mercury through the chest.Screaming, she fell to the floor.

"Mars", Sailor Moon ordered tightly, "See to Sailor Mercury."Focusing her attention on Scaramanga, Sailor Moon noted that the villain was hovering above the bomb, but beneath a heavy-looking utility hook. With a mental "Ah!", she pulled her tiara from her forehead. "MOON TIARA MAGIC!"

The tiara activated with a flash, and illuminated Sailor Moon's face with a pale light. "Screwball in the side pocket," she said as she bared her teeth in a grim smile.She hurled the tiara at the chain holding the hook.It ricocheted off the chain and returned to Sailor Moon who caught it triumphantly.Scaramanga looked up only to see the hook smash down onto his face.He was driven upon the bomb.The hook was deflected by his body.It landed a few feet in front of the bomb, clattering with hollow finality in the big hanger.

"I thought you said no attacks near the bomb." Pluto remarked wryly as she approached the bomb. As she neared it, Scaramanga faded and disappeared.

"Hey," Sailor Moon remarked aloud, "I was being careful, unlike some others we could mention."

Sailor Mars smiled wickedly at Sandra.

"Finished," Pluto said as she removed the Infinity Device from the bomb. "Mission accomplished."

"Not quite finished," came the familiar voice. The Sailors turned and saw Sailor Mars staring at the bomb, its sleek metal surface glinting in the dim light.The other Sailors saw the look in her eyes, and felt a collective thrill of fear.Sailor Mars intended to incinerate the "little boy".

"Mars," Sailor Moon said sternly. "Don't."

"You can't order that," Sailor Mars replied coldly.

"I can," Sailor Moon stated, "and I did."

"You can't do this," Sailor Pluto added. "You will alter history.That's exactly what Scaramanga was trying to do.It wasn't his place to do so, and it's not yours."

"But people will die if they use this thing!" Mars shouted, as her face twisted with grief.

Jupiter stepped forward."Mars, Cassandra, listen to me.People will die anyways.Just different people.Maybe more people.You can't second guess history."

"Yes," Sailor Moon said as she stepped in front of Sailor Mars. "And if you destroy the bomb, you may save the people of Hiroshima, but you will have to kill me first."

Sailor Mars held her hands in front of her, her gaze locked on the bomb, ready to send a fiery blast towards the bomb, and towards history.

"Please move," Mars pleaded as tears welled up in her eyes.

Sailor Moon shook her head no sympathetically. "No," she said quietly.

"We can't pick and choose here, Mars!It is dangerous to tamper with history!In the future, the earth was destroyed.Do you want to do something worse?Beth and Brandy are back there!Please!" Pluto stretched out her hands towards Sailor Mars. 

"She's right," Sailor Moon said.

"Yeah, I know," Mars replied as she dropped her hands and fell into Sailor Moon's outstretched arms, tears running down her face. "It just doesn't feel good, that's all."

"I know," Pluto smiled, eyes glistening with unshed tears."Sometimes it doesn't feel good."

"Yes," Sailor Moon said. "But doing what is right when it doesn't feel good is what separates normal people from heroes."She smiled tiredly at her comrades. "Let's go home."

== * * *==

HiroshimaAugust 6, 19458:02 am

A silver phoenix soared through the clouds over the southern end of Honshu. Upon the signal from the pilot, the bombardier released a single bomb which fell toward its target….

From the future, Cassandra watched through the Timegate, transfixed, as the ground exploded.The atomic reaction sent its mushroom spiraling up into the heavens, and the silver phoenix flew into the morning sun.

== * * *==

Sandra stood sleepily by the window of her bedroom and gazed out over the lunar landscape. Illuminating the dark gray of the jagged hills, Earth glistened, an innocent blue ball.Squinting to look closer, Sandra saw Japan emerge from night, to start another day.With that, Sandra quietly disrobed returned to bed.

** FINI **

# Fanfic ã1999 – John Brengman and Artemis Publishing

Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, 

ã 1992 by Toei Animation Co Ltd. and based on Kodansha's

manga production of "Sailor Moon", written by Naoko Takeuchi

This fanfic is freely distributed. 

Release date: August, 1998

Edited: October 4, 1999

Release: 2nd Edition: October 4, 1999

Release: 3rd Edition: January 16, 2001


	2. SX#2 - Hellfire

Sailor X #2Hellfire

By: John Brengman

Edited by: Jamie Lewis &

Thomas Schell

Neo-Queen Serenity stood on the balcony overlooking the grand ballroom of the Crystal Palace. Light from the chandeliers softly bathed the dancing couples and reflected gently off the silvery-gray marble floor. Soft music wafted into the air from the orchestra pit at the end of the room and a sitting area dominated the opposite end, providing a polite alternative to those lacking the energy or initiative to brave the dance floor. Judging from the continuous pulse of activity in the room, the first formal dance held in the Crystal Palace since the ballroom was rebuilt was a complete success.

From her vantage point, Serenity surveyed the entire Ballroom.She sighed and leaned against a nearby column.Noticing this un-royal posture, Luna quickly but quietly jumped to the banister, somehow managing to appear graceful as she rushed to her queen's side.Once perched comfortably upon a shoulder, she purred quietly.

"You are tired?" She asked.

"No," Serenity replied lazily.

"Ah! You are bored," Luna stated. "Well, bored or not, your posture is most appalling."

"Serenity gazed at Luna with a weary smile and seated herself in a nearby chair. "You know," she said. "You are about the only one around here who can still get away with lecturing me." Serenity paused thoughtfully. "Raye can too, I suppose…and Amy sometimes…"

"What is the problem?" Luna demanded. 

"I'm tired," Serenity replied. "I am tired of being a queen, of running a kingdom, of having people on pins and needles around me. I never do anything for myself, or by myself.

"Yes, my queen," Luna replied. She received a stern glare from Serenity.

"And no one ever calls me 'meatball head'." Luna thought she heard a lonely sigh at the mention of her old, hated nickname."No one even calls me Serena anymore…"

Luna jumped gracefully down to the banister, seated herself and looked over the crowd.The people were full of bubbling laughter, and totally oblivious to their queen's inner turmoil. Turning back to Serenity, she said, "You may be lonely and bored, but the people down there don't see it, and they shouldn't.They see a young queen that they respect and love…and they need to keep seeing that."

"Fine," the queen replied as she arose, "but that doesn't make me feel any better."

Luna watched Serenity proceed to the double doors at the back of the room, nodding politely to the few courtiers she passed.

"This," Luna sighed to herself, "is going to be a problem."

== * **SM *==**

Raye and Cassandra were returning to the Crystal Palace from the dedication ceremonies of the Prometheus Colony on Titan. Since the confines of the spaceplane did not lend themselves to conversation, both women took the opportunity to sleep during the flight between Saturn and Jupiter.

Their sleep was abruptly disturbed when a sensor contact alarm sounded. Raye quickly tied into the sensors and tapped the computer for information. Cassandra, who was not quite awake yet, grumbled sleepily at the disturbance and tried in vain to retreat into slumber.

Cass buried her head under a pillow and growled, "Shut that off!"

"Sorry," came the reply from the pilot's chair in front of her. "No can do. You have to tie into the system too before that alarm will stop."

Cass grudgingly donned her flight helmet, her movements still clumsy with sleep.She tied its sensory net into the plane's computer. A visor slid down over her eyes and the ship's cockpit disappeared as the helmet fed information from the ship's sensors directly into her brain.

"Ok," Cass said. "I'm tied in." The alarm stopped as if on cue. "What are we picking up?"

"I don't know yet," Raye replied. "According to the sensors it'ssomewhere off our eleven o'clock."

Cass looked and noticed a band of debris in the distance. "We're approaching the asteroid belt," she noted.

"mmm," Raye glanced at the screen and pursed her lips. "Our contact is in there."

Cass used the sensors to scan the area. "I'm not picking it up."

"I'll increase the magnification," Raye replied.Cass watched as the drifting asteroid field seemed to jump out at her.A small mote of flame floated amid the asteroids. "Oh no," Cass muttered as Raye increased the magnification again, bringing the object into better focus.

The object was human-shaped, and sheathed entirely in an orange-red aura of fire. Even from this distance, Cass could see heavy body armor, bulky gauntlets, and a spiked helmet.

"Not him again," Cass moaned.

"Fraid so," Raye replied. "It looks like Hellfire's back."

== * **SM *==**

Honolulu, HITwo weeks earlier

"This guy is tough," Sailor Moon muttered as she dodged a fireball thrown by the nine-foot tall villain who was surrounded by flames. From somewhere nearby, Jupiter stepped up. "JUPITER THUNDER CRASH!" Lightning bolts spiraled down for Jupiter to collect.Whirling around, she shot a fierce bolt of electricity at the villain.The lightning flared promisingly around the monster, then faded with no effect.

"You call that power?" the villain scoffed."THIS is power!" With nonchalance he summoned a fireball into the palm of his hand and threw it at Jupiter.She managed to get out of the way but was blown to the ground by the force of the blast.

The Sailors were fighting a ragged, running battle, and were now backed up against the premises of a local orphanage.Sailor Moon determined that the fight would proceed no further.The villain had to be stopped here.

Venus launched a Crescent Beam attack that did little to phase the monster. "Nothing you wimps have can stop the power of Hellfire!" The monster shouted as the remnants of Venus' attack faded.

"Group together," Sailor Moon ordered."I fire a tiara shard attack, then we combine to finish him off ."

The Sailors broke rank, weaving in and out of Hellfire's blasts, dodging but making no attacks of their own.They made their way to the rally point and stood together as a group in front of the stone wall surrounding the orphanage.Sailor Moon pulled the tiara from her forehead and shouted, "MOON TIARA SHARD MAGIC!" The tiara activated with a flash that illuminated Sailor Moon's face with a pale light. No fuss, no frills.She slung her tiara towards him with the grace of a wrecking ball.They were all too worn out to worry about aesthetics. As it arced toward the villain it pulsed with an angry red light.Shuriken-like projectiles appeared and were spun, shooting towards Hellfire.He contemptuously raised his left gauntlet as a defense.

The projectiles slammed into Hellfire's gauntlet but were deflected back at the unsuspecting Sailors asHellfire simply batted the tiara away.The Scouts were showered with a rain of razor-sharp blades. 

Hellfire stood and surveyed the scene with glittering eyes.His lip curled at the girls' weakness."Train harder," he sneered."Practice."His voice dripped with derision."I will come for you."With one last cold stare, the villain disappeared in a ball of fire, leaving five severely injured Sailors to wonder what went wrong, and why they were still alive.

== * **SM *==**

"_Speak to me_

_Of those days I won't forget._

_Your worst dream_

_Has now returned to pay you back!_

_I'm still laughing._

_There's not much else I can do_

_But one thing's certain,_

_I'm coming back for you!"  
  
_

"_Have you got a gun?_

_Do you remember well?_

## Who'd ya use it on

_You're going to burn in Hell!"_

- Judas Priest, "Burn In Hell" (1997)

Near the asteroid belt…Present day…

"He's coming at us, Raye," Cass exclaimed, unable to hide her fear.They had been helpless before with a full team of scouts.Now she and Sandra were the only active members of the new group of Sailors.Mina, Raye, and Lita had volunteered to return to active duty until the rest of the group could heal, but they were still running themselves ragged.There were just too many things to do, and not enough Sailors to handle them all.

"I see him," Raye murmured as she put the spaceplane into a dive.They were close enough to the asteroid field that they were encountering solitary rock fragments as they flew. Raye rolled the plane lazily to avoid one rather large chunk of rock.

"I think we lost him," Cass sighed with relief.

"Nope," Raye replied. "He's out there.Waiting for us." She sighed. "But we have no choice. We've got to get past the asteroid belt, without him spotting us.Then we make a run for the palace." 

Raye started the plane into a gradual climb back through the scattered debris, hoping to mask their presence. They neared the asteroid belt, and Raye prepared the engines for top speed.The ship shook with the impact of plasma bolts on the neosteel hull.

"He's got us," Cass stated flatly. She was nearly panicked.

"I see that," Raye replied, looking out the cockpit at the asteroid belt below.

"What do we do now?"

Raye jerked her chin in the direction of the asteroid field. "We go in."

"You're not serious," Cass stated bluntly.

Raye's eyes narrowed on concentration as she banked the plane."He would be crazy to follow us."

"Yeah," Cass answered back. "I'd hate to think what that says about you."

There was silence for a moment, then both women turned to look at each other, remembering the cold insanity in his eyes at their last confrontation.

Raye was silent as she banked the plane into the asteroid field. Soon they were dodging both asteroids and plasma bolts as Hellfire barraged the plane as he chased it.

"We just have to keep together until we reach the break-off point for Mars," Raye thought, "because if we don't make it, we'll be space dust!".

== * **SM *==**

Crystal Palace

"I don't like this, Luna," Serenity scolded as she and the cat walked down the hallway toward the palace's gymnasium. "Usually I like surprises, but I'm not in the mood right now."

"Oh lighten up, Serena," Luna replied. "I think you'll find this surprise quite enjoyable."

"And you keep calling me Serena!" Serenity exclaimed. "Not that I mind…too much…but that's all you've called me since the dance."

"It's part of the surprise."

"Oh," Serenity murmured. The two walked the rest of the way to the gym in silence.

The doors to the gymnasium opened and Serenity was greeted by the sight of the brightly lit room. Various gymnastics equipment stood silently to one side of the gym floor.The center of the gym had been cleared and now held a standard gymnast's dance floor. A control room was located above the floor, its lit windows looking down on the gym from the south.

Mina was busy putting the finishing touches on her dress and straightening the red bow in her hair.Serena spotted Lita up in the control room.

"Hi you guys!" Mina exclaimed with a smile, seeing Serenity and Luna approach.She looked Serenity over for a moment. "Oh Serena, that dress is too formal. Here," she said picking up a bundle of clothes, "put these on."

Lita came down the stairs from the control booth just as Serenity was finished changing. Serenity now wore a reprinted Sailor V cutoff, denim shorts, and tennis shoes. It had taken her more time to remove her gown than it had to completely re-dress. Both Lita and Mina nodded their approval.

"You look good," Lita stated encouragingly.

"Yes, doesn't it feel good to be out of that thing?" Mina nodded toward the gown hanging by a hook on the wall.

"I guess," Serenity replied. "I feel a bit naked though.

Mina approached Serenity and gave her a friendly hug. "That's because you spend too much time with court duties and you never leave time for yourself."

Lita added, "this from a girl who nearly failed out of school."

Serenity blushed. Shaking her head to banish the embarrassment, she asked, "So, what are we doing here?"

Lita did a twirl that made her dress billow out prettily. "Dancing lessons!" She laughed.

"Aren't you afraid I'll be a klutz?" Serenity sounded a bit concerned.

"Nope," Mina replied happily. "And if you do klutz out, so what. You need to let your hair down and forget about being queen for a while."

With that, Lita picked up a small remote, pointed it at a wall sensor and pressed a button.Soft music drifted from the gym speakers. "Let the lessons begin," she said happily.

Luna curled up nearby and watched the proceedings with a contented purr.

== * **SM *==**

"_Say my name._

_I can hear you whisper._

_Not to blame?_

_You are going to blister!"_

-Judas Priest, "Burn In Hell" (1997)

Mars

Raye would later proclaim the landing of the spaceplane on Mars to be one of her best.The plane was neatly tucked just inside the entrance to a canyon. Cass had objected to landing on Mars, but Raye said once they were outside Hellfire would have a harder time outgunning them. After the last attempt to call the palace from comm system had failed, Raye had sent Cass off to plant a marker beacon that would make any search for them easier.

When Cass returned, Raye was inspecting the damage to the plane.With a grunt she tore off a piece of neosteel from the hull, curled into a cylindrical shape during reentry.It had originally been damaged in one of Hellfire's attacks.

"The marker is set." Cass said.

"Good." Raye replied. "Once they start looking for us, we'll be easy to find."

"Won't we be leaving before the others get worried enough to search?"

"I hope so," Raye said, "but if we go, we have to do it soon." She pointed to the plane's mid-section, where the fuel for the plane's engines was stored. "The plasma that feeds the engines is beginning to

go inert. If it fails completely, we won't be able to re-start the engines."

"How long will it take?"

"I'm not sure," Raye answered. "Not long, though." Both women continued their work on the plane in silence.It was hard to talk with doom hanging over your head like a cloud. 

The women were focused on the job of repairing the plane when Hellfire landed with a roar.

"At last, ladies, we have some time to ourselves," Hellfire leered."I am sure I will find this most enjoyable."

Both women jumped down from the plane and approached the villain. "Not if we have anything to say about it," Raye replied. Almost in unison, both women shouted "MARS POWER!" and began their transformations into Sailor Mars.

"Splendid," Hellfire laughed.He watched the two Sailors emerge from their transformations. "Two fiery Sailors with tempers to match!I could do with a little of that spirit to whet my appetite!"."

"Wishful thinking, charcoal-brain!" the younger Mars shouted, "MARS FIREBOLT POWER!" A ball of fire coalesced in her right hand and she flung it at Hellfire. The blast hit the villain but had little effect.

"Oh," Hellfire commented, "I'm really scared now….why don't you lay some more of that fire magic on me…"

"If you insist…MARS FIRESTORM FLASH!"An angry stream of fire shot from the elder Sailor Mars' palms and surrounded Hellfire.He basked in the scorching inferno. Mars continued to pour energy into the fire blast for several seconds longer, hoping Hellfire would collapse under the barrage.Eventually, Mars discontinued the blast.Hellfire simply stood and waited for it to subside.

"And you call yourselves "super" heroes," Hellfire said dryly. "This must be the best that you can do.I think that is terrible."His expression belied his words."Perhaps I should help you….Try this!" And he blew a gust of fire that scorched the nearby canyon walls and anything in between. Rocks were picked up by the strength of the blast and hurled at the two Sailors who gradually weakened under the punishment.

The two women fought a losing battle, trying to resist the assault.They gradually lost consciousness.Hellfire ceased his attack.Standing over the Sailors, he checked to make sure they were fully unconscious.He kicked Raye once, hard.Her limp body flew up like a rag doll and landed with a soft thud on the rocks.Turning, Hellfire flew off to make arrangements. 

== * **SM *==**

Serenity could not remember the last time she had so much fun. The worries, cares, and responsibilities of running the Moon Kingdom melted away with joy at having fun with close friends.After a little practice, Serenity glided over the dance floor like the premier dancer she had been during the reign of her mother.

Lita and Mina watched as Serenity swooped over the floor in time to the music and responding to her invisible partner.They were inordinately pleased with themselves.

"Thank you girls," Luna said. "The queen definitely needed something like this."

"We know," Mina said. "I noticed it during the Ball, but Mina thought of 'dance lessons.'"

They continued to watch Serenity waltz across the dance floor.As she twirled, one of her feet caught the other and she tumbled into a heap on the floor.She flopped over onto her back and shook her hair angrily.

"I am such a meatball head!" She wailed. Lita, Mina, and Luna burst out laughing at this.Serenity began to laugh too as she rose and joined them on the bench.

"Thanks, you guys," Serenity said as she sat down. "This is great."

"Even the klutz out?" Lita asked.

Serenity blushed. "Yes," she replied. "Even the klutz out. I've got to do this more often."

"Consider it done," Luna said, "Klutz outs and all."

They giggled, then went onto the dance floor again.Lita started the music and they began to dance. It wasn't long until Serenity tripped again and all three women fell to the floor, sending up another burst of raucous laughter.

== * **SM *==**

"_Sceram in the night!_

_I've been counting the days._

_It's so amusing_

_To see you again"  
  
_

"_Have you got a gun?_

_Do you remember well?_

_Who'd ya use it on_

_You're going to burn in Hell!"_

- Judas Priest, "Burn In Hell" (1997)

Cass awoke to the sight of Raye, looking down at her.

"How long?"

"About two hours," Raye replied tersely.She moved Cass to a spot near the plane after regaining consciousness.Cass struggled to a sitting position, and leaned against the metal sides of the plane.

"Hellfire?"

"He's not in the area," Raye said."But somehow I don't think he's finished with us yet."

"What do we do now?" Cass asked. "We can't touch this guy.He absorbs the force of our attacks.He is toying with us!"She finished in a burst.As if it hurt to admit it, she looked up at her mentor."I'm scared!"

"I know," Raye said as she gazed at the plane. "I'm scared too.I was using some of my most powerful attacks, and they weren't phasing him.I don't know what to do…"For the first time in a long while, a tinge of hopelessness entered her voice. 

Cass looked at Raye with utter faith.Raye wanted to cringe."So how do we stop him?" Cass inquired, confident that Raye would know. "None of our attacks worked. Jupiter's thunder attack failed. Sailor Moon's tiara attack didn't work…"

Raye's thoughts turned inward.Cass depended on her.She was so scared…what if she couldn't do it?Could not beat the monster?The thought of Cass being broken hurt her physically.Her eyes darted around frantically.Panic closed in like blackness.They were alone.No one would find them.Everyonewould know, of course, when Hellfire reappeared. He would probably boast of it.It would be too late for them.The team was weak, injured.He would defeat all of them, piecemeal.They were all alone…Her vision was black.I want to go home.Raye felt the tears inside of her.She never cried.I don't want to fight anymore…as if triggered by the thought, Raye remembered her girlhood.In the cave, on the run from Malachite.They had been so young.She had just lost Darien.Lost him to Sailor Moon, then to the Negaverse. "I don't want to fight anymore."She had slapped Sailor Moon.They had to fight.There had to be a way.She believed that.She had been so young.She had to fight.She remembered her idealism, and her strength.They had won that battle, in the end.They worked together, and rose above the fear and grief.

Never to see everyone again.Hellfire would kill them all.Unless he was stopped here.The blackness faded, and Raye grabbed onto her surroundings like a drowning man grabbed onto a life preserver.

The metal ship held up her body, kept her from falling.The metal…

"Hold it!" Raye exclaimed, her eyes glistening, her body weak with relief from panic. "I think I've got it."Her voice was almost steady.She got up and made her way across the rocky ground to retrieve the tortured strip of neosteel she discarded earlier.

"This is going to be dangerous," Raye said. "Are you familiar with the phoenix attack?"

"No."

"I'm not surprised," Raye nodded. "You are a bit too inexperienced yet for that attack. You'll need help to use it, and it will be painful, but with help, you can master the pain, then master the power you'll need." 

"Yes," Cass said. "You've taught me that the powers of Mars are as much a matter of mental discipline as anything else.So what's the plan?"

Raye knelt and began to shape the neosteel strip, making it more aerodynamic. "I need you to provide a distraction, and the only thing I can think is the firestorm attack.I need Hellfire completely occupied with your attack."

"You said the transformation was going to be painful," Cass stated. "What do you mean?"

"It's better that you not know," Raye replied."Trust me on this," she said, seeing the flash of rebellion in Cass' face."I will be here to help you, and the pain will go away once you transform. Now…close your eyes….and imagine the form of a flaming phoenix…"

Cass looked up at the Martian sky, and fixed her eyes on the distant sun.She slowly closed her eyes. In her mind's eye, she still could see the sun, slowly warping to the shape of a fire-sheathed phoenix…

"So," Hellfire surveyed the scene like a proprietor."Is everyone ready?"He casually launched a fireball at Cass, already transformed into Sailor Mars along with Raye.They had seen him approaching for some time, as he made no move to conceal his presence.He knew as well as they did that they were trapped like rats. Cass hit the deck to avoid the blistering attack. Raye glanced quickly to her neosteel shard, casually laying on the ground nearby.The forward tip was sharpened and smoothed the sides.Glaring at Hellfire, she shouted, "MARS FIRE IGNITE!" and blasted him with a bolt of flame that was totally ineffective.Hellfire gloated.He seemed to like it when they fought back.It amused him.That enraged Raye.

"Your powers are nothing compared to the Primal Fire at my command!But thank you for playing!" As an after-thought, he batted away a fireball generated by the younger Mars. "Do you see how I dispose of your energy!Such a weak display.You are nothing!Everything you have I gave to you.You are nothing!"

Raye looked at Cass, standing a few feet away on a small hill."Now," she cried. "Transform!"

Still picturing the flaming phoenix in her mind, the younger Mars shouted, "MARS PHOENIX!" She was immediately sheathed in an angry field of fire.Screams of agony were torn from her mouth as the fire scorched her skin.

"Focus!" The elder Mars shouted. "Feel the strength of the phoenix!Don't resist!Let it flow through you!You are a conduit, a channel, a vessel for the Pheonix.Let the purity of the phoenix flow through you!" At the appropriate time, the elder Mars raised her hands and pointed them at her namesake. "MARS FIRE….IGNITE!" The fireball shot forward and slammed into the younger Mars, mute now, silenced by the pain.The fire carbonized the young woman and she was enclosed in a cocoon of gray charcoal.

"That was certainly interesting," Hellfire stated as he shot razor-sharp claws at the elder Mars.She back-flipped over the neosteel shard and out of the way.

A brilliant light shone through the carbon shroud enclosing Cass. The light consumed the carbon until finally the younger Mars stepped out of the carbon, and through the light.

"I am Sailor Mars! In the name of the Moon Kingdom, I will fight evil and defend the innocent! I will vanquish villains, and that means you!"

"You go girl," The elder Mars nodded approvingly.

"MARS FIRESTORM FLASH!" The torrent of fire erupted from the younger Mars, surrounded by a brilliant aura. The fire splashed on Hellfire and seemed to devour him. The young Sailor continued the attack for several seconds before it became evident that the attack had absolutely no effect on the villain.Hellfire began laughing hysterically.

"All that pain…all those special effects, the little light show," he managed to get out between gasps of laughter.And still, all you can manage is THAT?"Tears rolled down his cheeks as he continued to howl with amusement.Cass flushed red with embarrassment and anger.She looked to Raye for guidance.

"Keep going!" The elder Sailor shouted encouragement.

"MARS FIRE…IGNITE!"The younger Sailor brought up another fireball. She held it in her hands a bit longer than usual, as if doing so would increase the strength.Finally, she let it loose.It shot forward,once again bathing Hellfire in fire.He started laughing even before the fire died.He was totally distracted by his own mirth.Oblivious to his surroundings, he did not notice the Elder Sailor Mars stoop down and pick up the neosteel shard.

Hefting the metal shard, Raye readied herself.She pulled back her throwing arm, and hurled the crude spear at the villain with all her might. "Laugh at this!" She shouted.Her voice cracked.Just in time, Hellfire turned.He raised his gauntlet to reflect the incoming missile. The shard crashed into the upper portion of the gauntlet heavily, deflecting forward and upward.The villain screamed as he realized his fatal mistake, an instant before the neosteel shard slammed into his head.It pierced his eye and drove into his brain, shattering his skull.As the monster died, the primal energies that infused his being faded and his smoking body toppled backward to the ground.

The younger Sailor bounded down the hill and flew into her mentor's arms.

"We did it!" Cass shouted happily. "We did it! We did it!"They were both trembling.

"How do you feel?" Raye asked.

"Ok," Cass replied thoughtfully.A shadow passed through her eyes."Transforming into Super Mars was painful."

"Once you learn to control the transformation," Raye said, "there will be no pain."She noticed a streak of light across the sky. "It looks like someone at the palace noticed our beacon."

Together, the two women watched the sun set on the Martian horizon.They waited for their friends to arrive and take them home.

FINI

# FOOTNOTES AND EXPLANATIONS

* "He'd be crazy to follow us." Was taken from "_The Empire Strikes Back", where Han Solo used a _

derivative of the same phrase.

Explanation: Raye realized that the shuriken attack used against Hellfire in the first battle had failed because the shurikens were too light. Thus, she came up with the idea of the neosteel shard, which was light enough to throw, yet heavy enough to deflect forward, instead of backward.

# PREVIEW: SX3: DARK SAILOR

Sailor Moon stood upon a steep cliff overlooking portion of the Negaverse. All she saw below her, in all directions was deserted and wrecked buildings, punctuated by fires of various sizes. Buildings which in their heyday had been possibly beautiful were now twisted in agony.The entire view looked like the worst ideas of a post-apocalyptic horror. Queen Beryl's evil seemed to reach across from the realm of the dead to continue to torment the populace…those which still survived.

"My god…" Sailor Moon murmured aloud.

"You are standing amidst the ruins," Scaramanga said, "of a place that God has forsaken. If He were ever here at all." The master villain nodded a silent greeting to the other Sailors, all of whom had turned at the sound of his voice.

# Fanfic ã1999 – John Brengman and Artemis Publishing

Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, 

ã 1992 by Toei Animation Co Ltd. and based on Kodansha's

manga production of "Sailor Moon", written by Naoko Takeuchi

This fanfic is freely distributed. 

Release date: August, 1998

Edited: October 8, 1999

Release: 2nd Edition: October 8, 1999

Release: 3rd Edition: January 16, 2001


	3. SX#3 - Dark Sailor

Sailor X #3Dark Sailor

By: John Brengman

Edited by: Jamie Lewis &

Thomas Schell

Scaramanga looked over the desolate landscape of the Negaverse from a spot atop the Ghora Cliffs. The bulk of the Negaverse…what little there was left of it could be seen from this here.The land below the cliffs was shrouded in a sullen darkness, as if waiting for some evil force to return and reclaim the glory that the Negaverse had been.

Nothing claimed the vacuum of power in the Negaverse after the downfall of Queen Beryl.The Negaverse was empty of evil but not of malice. The Black Moon hung in the sky to the east, a silent witness to the ravages below. Shards of darkforce energy showered the battered city below like meteors, leveling what they hit. 

The forsaken people of the Negaverse were in a pathetic state. They lived below ground, the only place safe from the darkforce that rained from the sky.Used as in Queen Beryl's conquering armies or as energy sources, they were broken and cast away.With Beryl gone, they were useless in a dimension gone mad.

"Why do you insist on looking at this?" A voice inquired from the darkness.

"It reminds me of what was," Scaramanga replied. "It reminds me of my past, and if I am not careful, my future."

A woman clad in a black and gray version of a Sailor uniform emerged from the shadows and approached Scaramanga.She joined him in surveying the blasted remains of the city.

"I doubt you'd ever allow yourself to fall the way the peons have fallen," she said. "Your pride would kill you first."

"You're probably right," Scaramanga stated. "I didn't work my way up from the bottom to become another forgotten soul in this wasteland."

"I hope you didn't summon me for this dose of cheeriness," Dark Sailor said dryly.She looked vaguely annoyed, as if she thought he might have.

"No, I asked you here because I thought you would be interested in my new plan.It's brilliant, if I do say so myself.We steal much-needed energy from Earth and get rid of those annoying Sailors at the same time."

"Two birds with one stone, hmm…sounds promising," Dark Sailor said. "Fill me in."

Scaramanga nodded and continued. "Humans have an irritating knack for stumbling blindly upon universal truths.They usually appear in literature.One such truth is 'The star that shines the shortest, shines the brightest.'"

"I don't understand," Dark Sailor said.She sneered with contempt for humans.

"What matters is that I do," Scaramanga replied impatiently. "in any event, look at the human lifespan. In their youth, humans have so much energy.They waste most of it in frivolity. As they get older, humans lose more and more of their vital energy.Eventually, they grow old, run out of energy, and die. Thus, the universal truth: 'The star that shines the shortest shines the brightest.'"

Dark Sailor nodded, showing more interest.

"I called you here because of your abilities and skill with weaponry.You are perfectly suited for this mission. We steal children from Earth. This draws the Sailors to the Negaverse, where we attack and subsequently destroy them. At the moment of their death, you drain their energy." Scaramanga smiled. "Even if we fail to eliminate the Sailors, we will still have the children to drain."

"Sounds like a plan," Dark Sailor remarked wryly.The sneer was a permanent fixture of her face.

"Before we begin," the elder villain said, "I need to obtain my powers." Scaramanga raised his hands in the air and shouted "DARKFORCE POWER! Give me the power to destroy my enemies!" A hail of lightning bolts fell upon Scaramanga who endured the waves of energy in silent ecstasy.The bolts then splashed to a spot in front of him.They coalesced into the form of another villain.

"Ah!" Dark Sailor said when she saw the outline. "Mimic."She smiled with cruel anticipation and approval.Scaramanga stepped forward and let the outline envelop him. Once he was done merging with the energy outline, Scaramanga turned to Dark Sailor and clenched his fist triumphantly. "It's time to get some kids!"

== * **SM *==**

Ginza Field, in Tokyo's Ginza District

4:02 PM

"It's the bottom of the second inning as the hometown Tokyo Ryoken come to bat," the announcer squawked over Raye's small radio, propped in the seat next to her. Surrounding it, and watching the action on the field below was Cass, Rachel, Mina, and Victoria. The Luna Foundation always sent someone

to the home games of the baseball team that they owned, but this was one of the largest contingents that

had attended a game in recent months.

The reason for their attendance was simple. The group had taken quite a beating at the hands of Hellfire only a few weeks ago, and Queen Serenity had noticed the group's morale sagging.Luna told the group, both active sailors and reserves, that the queen did not want to have to order them to find something fun to do, so the group of girls became regular visitors to Ginza Field.

"First up to the plate for the Tokyo Ryoken," the radio announcer said, "shortstop Adam Miller!" After two pitches, Miller belted a curve ball, sent it shooting out into left field for a base hit.

"How can you watch this? Raye asked quietly so as not to offend the fans near her.

"I think it's interesting!" Cass replied, her eyes glued to the action as the next batter took position in the batters' box.

"You just like the men," Mina scolded with a wink.

"I do NOT!" Cass squealed.

"Will you guys keep it down?" Rachel frowned with annoyance. "I'm trying to watch this."

"What does our yelling have to do with you seeing the game?" Raye sniped back, but further comment was stifled by a glare from Rachel.She turned her attention back to the game with a low growl. Victoria just sat through this argument watching everything. She sat back in her seat and made sure her long, braided black hair was neatly settled over her right shoulder, tip laying on her chest. Every so often, Mina would hand her the bag of popcorn and try to include her…but it was hard.Victoria was almost a carbon copy of her introverted mentor. With the additional crucible of muteness to bear, she carried out her role as Sailor Saturn with a grim efficiency that made the others shudder.

By the time things quieted down, the Ryoken had two men on base, two outs, and the fifth batter was at the plate.Mariko Katsuragi squared to bunt at the first pitch.Suddenly, he drew back and swung hard at the incoming pitch.With a CRACK, Katsuragi sent the baseball high into the air.It soared out of the play area and into the crowd.With a thud, it ricocheted off the cement steps near Raye, who ducked just in time to avoid being hit. The ball flew into Mina's lap, showering her and Victoria with popcorn.Mina stood up and dumped the rest of the popcorn on Rachel as she held up the ball and bowed to the nearby spectators.

"Admit it Raye," Cass grinned at Raye during all the commotion, "you like baseball."

"Perhaps," Raye murmured, grimacing a half smile to herself and hoping her reply was lost in the roaring of the crowd.

== * **SM *==**

Downtown Tokyo, near the Imperial Palace4:10 PM

Bus 49 proceeded along a major boulevard in central Tokyo.The bus was filled with children heading home from a picnic outing.Only their seat belts kept them from playing in the aisle.For some kids, a seat belt wasn't much of an obstacle.The teacher sat in the front seat behind the driver and waited for the school to come into view around the next corner…which would not happen for some time.Molly Baker sat in the mid-section of the bus, a tidal wave of kids engulfing her as she played both chaperone and entertainer to the fifth-graders. The other escort for the trip, Jordan Winston, sat at the back of the bus, the only area that was relatively calm…the eye in the hurricane of youngsters. Seated next to him was Karyn Anderson, the very essence of calmness. While Molly attempted to play rock-scissors-paper with about five kids, Jordan and Karyn talked…at least Jordan tried to.

"So, Karyn," he said, "you're good in school?"

"Yes," the girl replied, her deep-blue eyes looking at the teenage boy. "Not as good as mom, though."

"Do you want to be as good as her?" Jordan asked. He wasn't expecting the answer he got.

"No," Karyn replied simply. "I'm good at playing and ball and stuff…mom's good at other things."

It was at about this point that a dark-clothed figure appeared at the front of the bus. The figure turned and waved her hand over the steering wheel as the driver tried ineffectively to get her to go away. The woman grabbed the driver's shoulder and a dark aura quickly surrounded him. He moaned tiredly as his lifeforce was drained away.

Seeing the demise of the bus driver, the children attempted to get as far away as they could, nearly trampling Molly, who was on her way forward with a grim look on her face. Jordan looked around helplessly as the herd of children came his way. Karyn scanned the situation calmly.

"Stay out of my way and no one gets hurt!" Dark Sailor yelled as she waved her hand over the steering wheel again. The bus started to lift away from the ground.

"What do you think you're doing?" Molly demanded.

"I'm warning you," Dark Sailor said sternly. "Stay out of my way!"

This didn't deter Molly, who advanced upon the villain and grabbed her arm. The steering wheel continued to move by itself as if the bus were driving through the air. Dark Sailor grabbed her axe from her back with her left hand and bashed Molly with the flat of the weapon. She went down in a heap at the bottom of the stairs across from the driver's seat. Grinning wickedly, Dark Sailor opened the doors of the bus and Molly flew out. She grabbed the metal bar attached to the door at the last moment to prevent herself from falling to her death. It did not prevent her from letting out a terrified scream that rippled through the children as they saw what happened. 

Karyn saw Molly fly out of the bus and tossed her book onto the seat. Since most of the kids were crowding on the seats to get a better view, Karyn made her way to the front of the bus quickly by crawling under the seats. 

Dark Sailor's attention was focused on Molly and she did not see the girl approaching the front of the bus. Her axe whirled again and the metal attachment between the door lever and the door itself was shattered. Molly screamed again as she nearly slipped from her hold on what remained of the metal connecting rod.

When she reached the stairway, Karyn tightly grasped the metal railing on the other side of the stairs from the door mechanism and descended toward the shattered door. She reached the base of the stairs and yelled out, "Molly!" as she reached out to her friend.

"Karyn!" Molly screamed. "Get back, it's too dangerous!"

"I know," Karyn replied, tightening her grip on the railing. "Grab my hand!"

"I can't reach! Get back before you fall!"

"No!" Karyn shouted. "I don't want you to fall!"

At that point, a gust of wind caught the door and pushed it toward the bus. Molly grabbed Karyn's hand and pulled herself back aboard the bus.

Molly glared at the villain, who watched the whole rescue with a dispassionate gaze. "What now?"

Dark Sailor growled, "Get back with the others and leave me alone…or I'll bash you again!" The two girls obediently headed toward the back half of the bus, where the rest of the kids had gathered along with their adult protectors. All of them were now prisoners.

_ _

== * **SM *==**

Crystal Palace6:35 PM

The royal court finished dinner and returned to the throne room, commencing the traditional "Evening Hour" where various guests of the court could petition for aid.Although the Moon Kingdom was not officially recognized through diplomatic channels, the Luna Foundation contributed to charitable interests across the globe through dummy corporations and private donations.In return for access to the Luna Foundations vast resources, the Foundation had special privileges, and authority to take direct action on behalf if it's interests on earth. 

Although Neo-Queen Serenity realized the necessity of granting these favors, she hated all of the groveling and posturing that came with it.At the moment, she was listening to an environmental group wanting the Luna Foundation to prevent oil drilling in northern Alaska.Part of the petition process required the supplicant to defend his or her position against the queen or another member of the royal court.The environmentalist was unlucky enough to square off against Princess Pluto.

After about ten minutes of listening to the debate, Serenity decided she'd heard enough and stopped the proceeding with a slight wave of her hand. "We'll contact you when we've made a decision. Princess," she nodded toward Pluto, "please show our guest to his ship, then return." With that, Serenity nodded to the court and rose.She approached Mina, Raye, and the others just returning from Tokyo with a relieved smile. "Well," she breathed a sigh of relief.She HATED that part of the schedule. "How was the game?"

"It was fun!" Cass said, bringing a smile to Rachel's face. "I had a blast!"

Raye yawned.

"So who won?" Serenity asked.

Rachel's grin widened. "Our team!"

"Although you could barely concentrate on the game with the way these two were yammering," Raye said, pointing at Cass and Mina. Victoria stood back as far as she could while remaining a part of the group.She was uncomfortable being in public, even in the castle. 

"Cass was gawking at the guys," Mina said with mock sternness.

Cass turned to Mina with exaggerated shock on her face. "I was NOT!"

Mina continued, "I saw you! Your tongue was practically on the floor."

Cass growled menacingly.

"Please children," Sandra laughed said as she joined the gathering. That phrase lightened everyone's mood, coming from a teenager, and directed towards at least one adult.

"See what I mean?" Raye asked rhetorically.

The conversation was abruptly interrupted by a commotion outside the doors of the throne room. The doors burst open and a distraught Amy entered the room. The door person approached her, as was his duty when someone entered the throne room without the royal announcer or the queen. The princesses, of course were an exception, but anyone would attempt to stop a person, even a princess from entering the throne room and making a scene there.

"Princess," the doorman murmured nervously, "perhaps it would be better…" Amy looked at him with a look that could freeze Hell. "Don't try to stop me," she growled.

Not knowing Amy's intent, and only seeing her obvious distress, the doorman continued to attempt to fulfill his duties. "Madam, I must insist…"

"Randall," Sandra said as she approached. "It's OK. I'll escort her." Randall was about to protest, but a raised eyebrow from Sandra dared him to press the issue with a princess who obviously was not distraught.

Once the two women had joined the group, Sandra looked at her mother. "I don't think the people should see a princess in this state."

"You're right," Serenity replied quickly. "In fact, have all but our personnel removed from the grounds. If they protest, tell them that whatever they came to petition about can afford to wait." Sandra relayed this order to Randall and returned. As the people filed out of the throne room, Raye approached Amy and hugged her. Once Randall closed the throne room doors, the group turned to Amy.

"What is the matter?" Serenity asked.

Amy gathered herself up from Raye's shoulder which she had been leaning on and said with a voice quavering with fear and anger, "The Negaverse has kidnapped my daughter!" Amid the gasps of disbelief, Serenity turned and walked back to her throne. Once she was seated, the others joined her again, sitting themselves in a circle on the carpeted floor on the low stairs in front of the throne. 

"How could this happen?" Serenity asked.

"The school bus she was riding never made it to the school from their outing today," Amy replied steadily regaining her composure.

"And you're sure it was the Negaverse?" Sandra asked.

"Yes. Greg and I retraced the route the bus was supposed to take. We found traces of Negaverse energy all over an area of downtown where people said they saw the bus simply float into the sky."

"How strong were the readings?" Mina inquired.

"Off the scale," Amy stated. "My computer stopped reading them after a short bit."

"Nothing like leaving a really BIG bread crumb," Rachel stated bluntly. "They're leading us on…and they know we'll fall for it."

"And we will fall for it," Raye said, "because we have no choice but to try to rescue the children."

"Yes," Serenity replied. "I agree."

"Good!" Amy said, standing, "I'll get the rest of the Sailors."

"Excuse me," Sandra said quietly. "That's my job."

"What?" Amy said, confused. "What about Lita and the others?"

"You forget," Sandra stated, "you and the rest of the princesses are no longer active Sailors. You are

a reserve that we call on if we need to, not before."

"But I want to help," Amy protested. "I must help my daughter!"

"And you have," Sandra replied slowly with emphasis on each word. "I mean no disrespect, but let us do our jobs."

"Amy," Raye said, "we selected them to be our successors as Sailors. If we jump into everything that comes along ourselves, then why did we bother giving the power to the new Sailors?"

Seeing she was outnumbered, Amy turned to Serenity for support. It was not there.

"I agree with Sandra and Raye," she said. "The Sailors will go to the Negaverse and rescue the children." Turning to Amy and Raye, she continued. "You and Raye, gather the other princesses and be ready to go to the Negaverse if the Scouts should need you." The women gathered before Serenity nodded their agreement and started about the task of preparing to go.

Serenity approached Sandra before she left the throne room. "Sandra, could you have Vanessa see me before you leave."

The queen's daughter looked at her mother. "We'll be ready in ten minutes."

"I won't take long," the queen replied.

Turning back to the throne, Serenity again approached Amy. Placing her hands on the princess' shoulders, she gazed comfortingly into her eyes. "Don't worry, Amy. We'll get Karyn back."

== * **SM *==**

The Ghora Cliffs, in the NegaverseThe Young Sailors

"So," Mars quipped, glancing around nervously, "where is the welcoming committee?"

"Like if ya ask nicely they'll come out and ask ya to fry em," Mercury remarked dryly.

"Cut the chatter," Sailor Moon ordered brusquely. "We don't have the time." She strode forward to look out at the desolation beyond the cliffs.The only buildings remaining standing besides the huge castle that Beryl inhabited seemed to be other castles erected in other areas of the Negaverse. Aside from the castles and a bizarre church-like building, which had been damaged but not destroyed, the picture in front of the Sailors looked like something out of an old war movie.

"How did this happen?" Sailor Uranus asked.

"Evil usually turns upon itself when defeat is near." Pluto replied. "This was no doubt the result of the death of Queen Beryl. With no new evil stepping in to fill the power vacuum, the Negaverse has torn itself apart."

A silence fell over the group and the only sound that could be heard was a hollow wind as it rustled by them. In the distance to the north, a darkforce shower pounded the area near a castle far to the northeast. "I wonder who lived there," Mars said quietly.

"That would be the castle belonging to Lord Malachite." Turning to Mars, Pluto said, "You really should try harder in history. Castle Malahrand is prominent in the history of the Negaverse."

The darkforce shower continued and grew worse. A huge piece of darkforce energy slammed into the area south of Malahrand, pulverizing an area the size of a city block.

"My god…" Sailor Moon murmured aloud.

"You are standing amidst the ruins," Scaramanga said from behind them, "of a place that God has forsaken. If He was ever here at all." The master villain nodded a silent greeting to the other Sailors, all of whom had turned at the sound of his voice.

"Welcome to the Negaverse," Scaramanga said. "I do hope you enjoy your stay, because you will be staying for a long while."

Sailor Moon stepped forward and calmly said: "I'm going to tell you this only once. Return the children you stole, and do it now."

"Oh?" The master villain replied, "and if I don't?"

"Then I intend to see that you don't walk away from this encounter alive."

"I'm afraid it won't be that easy, Sailor Moon," Scaramanga replied. "You're in the Negaverse now, and your threats mean nothing here, but I do thank you for trying. Anyway, now to the business of your deaths…ZAI!" A stream of darkforce bolts swarmed from the villain. The Sailors easily dodged the negative energy as the bulk of it assaulted the ground in front of them. It proved to be reason enough for some of the Scouts to retaliate, however.

"VENUS CRESCENT BEAM….BLAST!" was quickly followed by: "MERCURY SHARD!, MARS FIRE….IGNITE!, DEEP SUBMERGE! and MOON TIARA MAGIC!"

Scaramanga took the brunt of most of these attacks, batting away the tiara and the ice shard, and absorbing the force of the crescent beam, primal fire, and water funnel. He had been brought to one knee by the attacks, and when they subsided, his head was bowed as if in defeat.

Sailor Moon stepped forward and angrily said, "I don't like having to repeat myself! Return the children!"

Scaramanga looked up with an evil gleam in his eye. "You are in for a rude surprise, Sailor Moon." He stood up, somehow looking none the worse for wear after absorbing some of the best attacks that the Sailors could throw at him. He held out a hand and said: "DARKFORCE TIARA MAGIC!" A black replica of Sailor Moon's tiara appeared in his hand, its green gemstone gleaming hideously. Scaramanga threw the tiara at Sailor Mars with a flourish. The evil tiara screeched through the air and only Mars' timely dodge prevented her demise. Instead the tiara slammed into her right shoulder, pitching her roughly to the ground.

"Dark Sailor! Where are you?" Scaramanga yelled.

The Dark Sailor appeared at the villain's side. Instead of her black and gray sailor uniform, she was wearing a full suit of body armor. "I was waiting until you needed me."

"I need you now," Scaramanga replied. "Attack the Sailors!"

With a nod, Dark Sailor turned to the heroic women. "Get a load of this!" She shouted as she threw globs of darkforce energy at Sailors Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune. The darkforce hit the ground near its targets and exploded into a sticky mess, entangling the Sailors. The evil force then started to drain the Sailors of their energy.

"SILENCE GLAIVE SURPRISE" echoed hauntingly through Sailor Moon's mind as Sailor Saturn called forth her weapon. With a sinister whisper, a six-foot tall glaive with a thin, black handle appeared in her hands.

"You challenge me?" Dark Sailor said with astonishment. Brandishing her axe, she approached the silent warrior. "Fine! I'll cut ya to ribbons!" She raised her axe and brought it down in a fierce arc, which Saturn deflected with the glaive. The axe thudded to the ground with a loud clang.

"You were lucky!" Dark Sailor roared as she pulled her axe out of the ground, "but not this time!" She swung her axe horizontally, forcing Saturn to retreat. With a yell, Dark Sailor raised her axe and brought it down toward Sailor Saturn again. Grasping her glaive with both hands, Saturn quickly raised its handle to meet the attack. The handle of the glaive, which looked like it would snap in two under this assault, instead held off the attack without so much as a scratch.Locked in a stalemate, the two combatants battled back and forth.

Meanwhile, the other Sailors grouped around Sailor Moon, who had been knocked out by a DARKFORCE SHARD attack. Mars stepped forward. "I'm taking you down!" She growled.

"Oh really," came the villain's reply, "this should be interesting." Mars rushed toward Scaramanga and threw a left hook at him. The villain took the blow and grinned. "I hope you can do better than that."

"How's this?" Mars shouted as she slammed a upper-cut into his jaw. Scaramanga staggered back out of range of the angry Sailor. "THAT'S IT!" He roared. "DARKFORCE FIRE IGNITE!" A ball of swirling darkforce energy appeared in Scaramanga's hand and he hurled it at Mars. The chaotic energy cascaded around both her and Sailor Pluto, who had rushed forward to assist. Both women struggled to remain standing under the onslaught.

"There's more where that came from," Scaramanga stated flatly. "DARKFORCE CRESCENT BEAM!"

The beam crashed into the two women, who collapsed.

"That's enough!" Sailor Venus shouted angrily. "VENUS LOVE CHAIN ENCIRCLE!" This attack however was met with "DARKFORCE DEEP SUBMERGE!" and was extinguished. Venus herself was drowned into unconsciousness by the blast.

With a roar, Sailor Mercury rushed toward Scaramanga. She threw a punch at him and missed. "I grow tired of this," he growled as he drew his left hand forward. With a yell, he slammed it back and hit Mercury in the face. With satisfaction he heard the crushing of bones and a line of blood spurted from Mercury's mouth as she was thrown away from the villain. She landed in a tangled heap and lay very still.

Saturn could feel that Dark Sailor had committed herself to pressing her attack. Almost all of her weight was on the axe. Knowing it was either now or never, Sailor Saturn shifted her weight slightly, then dropped the hand nearest the head of the glaive. This time, the Dark Sailor joined her axe on the ground. Before she could recover, Saturn back-swung her glaive into the air. Once it was over her head, she grasped the deadly weapon with both hands and brought it down with full-force upon Dark Sailor's back. The armor protecting Dark Sailor's back shattered under the impact of the glaive, but no real damage was done. As Saturn again

raised the glaive above her head, the evil villain could see that she intended to change that.

Scaramanga heard the cry of "Help me!" off to his right and quickly shouted "DARKFORCE FIRE IGNITE!" releasing a dark primal attack which downed the silent Sailor. He approached Dark Sailor and roughly hoisted her to her feet.

"You couldn't even take out one frail girl!" Scaramanga yelled. "I am almost out of energy!"

"Stop your complaining," Dark Sailor replied through her teeth. "There's plenty of energy laying around." Turning to the downed Sailors, she winked. "Pick a Sailor, any Sailor."

"Aren't you being a bit premature?" asked a voice from behind them. "You haven't beaten us yet."

The villains turned and saw yet more Sailors. One stepped forward, "I am Sailor Venus, and I will fight for my friends! On behalf of the planet Venus, I will punish you!"

Seeing that they were seriously outnumbered by the eight new Sailors, Scaramanga shook his head and

replied, "Sorry, but we really must be going." With that, both he and Dark Sailor vanished.

== * **SM *==**

Sandra awoke to see Mina hovering over her in concern.Relief swept over Mina's face as she realized Sandra was conscious."What happened?" Sandra asked dazedly.

"The Queen was monitoring you," Venus relied."She sent us when she knew you were in trouble.Don't worry," she added quickly. " Most of the others are okay." Her expression belied her reassurances.

"What about Mercury?Rachel was…" her words trailed off and she looked around with growing desperation.

Mina tried to mask her concern as she replied, "Rachel and Victoria were hit bad, but they're going to be fine too."Mina's eyes were shadowed.She was obviously less than certain that this was so.

Sandra looked around to all her friends. Cassandra stood near the edge of the cliffs, talking quietly with her mentor.The Outer senshi were helping the younger Sailors who had been trapped and drained by Scaramanga.Sandra noted with concern that the two women representing the planet Uranus stood well away from each other, as if they both tacitly agreed that now was not the time to get into an argument over personal issues.These divisions would weaken the group.She made a mental note to herself that the duo needed to work out their differences as soon as possible.Unfortunately, now was not the time to get into that either.Sandra just hoped that they could keep focused through the rest of this conflict, and not involve personal problems.

Sailor Jupiter was helping out Brandy, while Mercury and Saturn both attended to Rachel.

After a few minutes the group assisting Rachel broke up.With a sigh of relief, Sandra saw that her young partner was fully recovered.All of the Sailors, young and old formed a loose group in front of Sandra.

"As Sailor Moon, crown princess of the moon," Mina stated simply. "You are the leader here."

"Thank you," Sandra said with a nod. Looking north over the expanse of the Negaverse, she asked, "Where do we start?"

"Well," Amy said, "Karyn, should have activated the tracking device in her watch by now." She removed her computer from its storage place and activated it. She quickly pulled up a signal and reported. "The children are North East of us," She pointed toward the huge skull-like structure that was Castle Beryl.

Raye nodded grimly."There's a path down the cliffs.It's narrow, but we can manage."

"We go by names, ladies," Sandra said crisply. " I will use my telepathy for the rest of this mission: it gives us an edge over Scaramanga.We go now.Everyone stay alert and keep your eyes open.We're not out of this yet."

== * **SM *==**

Outside the Astra Chapel

The group of heroes reached the shattered building near the center of the city at the base of the Ghora Cliffs.They came this far with almost no contact with the natives. Most inhabitants the Sailors did see quickly scurried away.The more aggressive ones quickly thought twice when they discovered who they faced. 

The younger Sailors led the group, and the elders brought up the rear.The group was quiet by general consensus.All were preoccupied with the haunted look of the people and the eerie emptiness of the city.

One small child straggled forth from the rubble of a nearby house and walked up to Victoria.The child displayed more curiosity and energy than anyone they had seen yet.Victoria picked her up with a smile. She walked a short way with the child in her arms, doing her best to wipe the soot away from her face. The other Sailors didn't seem to mind this, although Sandra had to remind Victoria that she could not take the child too far from her home.

Victoria put the child down and gave her a gentle push in the direction of her home.She rejoined the group a bit further back, near her mentor, and the two formed the rear guard.She was wielding her glaive with deadly precision and scanning the area vigilantly for any signs of the enemy.

Death nevertheless came as a surprise.With a silent hiss, Dark Sailor materialized next to Sailor Saturn, her axe unsheathed, its blade more wicked than before.Her teeth bared with triumph, Dark Sailor drove the blade of her weapon into Saturn's back. With a choked grunt, she jerked forward.Blood bubbled up in her mouth as her ribs shattered and organs burst.Her frail body was lifeless before it hit the ground.

Victoria was the first to turn.She saw Dark Sailor roughly rip her axe from the lifeless form of her beloved mentor. Victoria's wordless horror turned into rage as she saw the vile villain about to hack at the broken body again.Her scream broke the silence of the moment.It rang harsh on the silent cliffs and echoed weirdly through the air.As if ripped from her soul, Victoria screamed, "DEATH RIBBON DEVASTATION!!" Razor-sharp ribbons of deadly energy erupted from Victoria and flew like arrows towards Dark Sailor.

"Oh damn," Dark Sailor muttered as she realized she attacked the wrong Sailor.The next instant the fury of Victoria's attack slammed into her.Within moments, the villain was reduced to a mass of bleeding fleshy pulp as the ribbons scoured her flesh from her bones.Victoria collapsed woodenly, her right hand outstretched to clasp the hand of her fallen friend.

"What a waste," Scaramanga solidified near Saturn's prone form. "My servant had so much potential. "The very least she could do was thin the ranks before she died."

"I will see you dead for this, if it costs my very soul!" Venus shouted.Her voice quivered with rage, but not even anger could keep her face from crumpling with grief as tears spilled over her lashes.The elders grouped together behind Venus and squared off against Scramanga.Mercury saw the younger Sailors about to join them and hurriedly waved them off. "No," she said. "You must find the children. We'll deal with him!"

"But you need us!" Sandra cried aloud.

"If the children are not rescued, Hotaru's death will be meaningless," Amy cried out desperately between clenched teeth. "Now go!You have to go!Remember the Mission.Stay focused!"

Sailor Moon grimly turned and gestured for the other sailors to follow. "Lets go," she said as she headed for Castle Beryl at a steady run.

== * **SM *==**

The girls kept their eyes peeled for surprises as they headed for Castle Beryl, located 3 kilometers northwest of the chapel.The group ran at a steady pace, firm and focused.Each Sailor struggled to block visions of the slender and physically diminutive Sailor Saturn bashed violently to the ground.Their world had been rocked to the bone, but they had no time to grieve or dwell on their sorrows until the mission was over.Unless they were successful, innocent children would die…they had to prevent that at any cost.

Everyone ran silently except Sailor Mars, whose sobbing finally brought Sailor Moon and the rest of the group to a stop.

"What's wrong?" Sailor Moon asked briefly.She already knew the answer.

"Hotaru" Mars sobbed helplessly.

"Get over it." Sailor Moon said coldly. "We have people depending on us, and we can't afford this now."

"Hotaru was depending on us!" Mars shrieked through her tears.

Sailor Moon grabbed Mars and shook her. "Stop it!" she yelled into Mars' face.Jupiter stepped up and took hold of Sailor Moon's arm."That's enough.Don't touch her."

Sailor Moon stepped back almost involuntarily, her face a blank mask of shock.Jupiter had never before spoken to her like this.No one had.

Jupiter spoke quietly to Mars."Saturn knew the risks.She died doing her job.We have to do our jobs.We fight to honor her memory.We WILL complete this mission.You - are - not - a - quitter."Jupiter spoke these last words slowly and clearly.Mars looked up to meet Jupiter's level gaze.After a moment she nodded and straightened.Her face was still wet with tears, but her eyes were clear and penetrating.She was ready.Her gaze passed over Sailor Moon without a flicker or recognition.As if Sandra were not there.

As one, the Sailors ran towards Castle Beryl.Faster now, as if they felt time pressing them from behind.

== * **SM *==**

"WORLD SHAKING!"

Scaramanga shook off the amber attack as it splashed against him and countered with, "DEEP SUBMERGE", sending torrential water at Sailor Uranus. "Your pathetic attacks are improving," Scaramanga taunted them, "but no challenge for me!"

Undaunted, Sailor Neptune stepped forward.After a concerned glance at her partner, trying to shake off the effects of the villain's water attack, she shouted grimly, "Why are you doing this?"  
"Why?" Scaramanga seemed truly surprised that the Sailors didn't already know."I want to show you who is truly pathetic!You look down on us!You think my people are beaten, broken.Well I am not!Anything you throw at me, I can reflect back! I am impervious to your attacks, unaffected by your pleas…in short, I AM INVINCIBLE!"

Mars remained unconvinced even though her MARS FIREBIRD STRIKE had little effect on the sneering villain."You seem to have a hearing problem, woman," he roared. "You can not hurt me with your attacks!"

Mercury took cover behind the scorched wall of a nearby hovel along with Venus. "He's right," Mercury said. "Nothing we throw at him works, he turns our attacks against us." Venus nodded her agreement. "Do you mind if I try something?"

"Try anything," Venus said through tight lips."He can't win."They both knew that there was more at stake than pride.He would spare none of them.

Scaramanga sent a punishing attack towards that brought Jupiter to her knees.

Mercury emerged from her hiding place at a dead run."This ends now!" and without breaking her stride she yelled "MERCURY BUBBLES…BLAST!"Thick fog surrounded the villain.

"Oh nooo, I can't see!" Scaramanga laughed mockingly."You think fog will hurt me?" he managed to get out between gasps of laughter.

"Now," Mercury growled as she aimed at the ground by the villain's feet, "Let's see you absorb this: "MERCURY ICE STORM BLAST!" Swirling ice froze the ground and worked upwards until Scaramanga was frozen in a block of ice.Seeing that her work was done, Mercury joined Sailor Venus in tending to Victoria.Sailor Jupiter, Uranus, and Pluto pressed their attack on the villain.Pluto shattered the ice block with her DEAD SCREAM attack, quickly followed by WORLD SHAKING and SUPREME THUNDER DRAGON. Under this barrage of rage, Scaramanga was forced back.

As he retreated, Scaramanga tripped and fell onto his back.He saw the three poised to fire their best attacks and shrank back involuntarily.His lips twisted with rage, and his malevolent gaze emcompassed all the Sailor Scouts."Next time," he spat at them as he started to fade away.The Sailors tried in vain to grab him, but all they heard was mocking laughter as their hands grasped at thin air.

"Well, I guess that takes care of him," Jupiter murmured.

"Yes," Pluto replied bitterly, "for the moment." With that, she turned and went to check on Victoria.

== * **SM *==**

Castle BerylThe Young Sailors

"I've never been here before," Sailor Moon said as they entered the Throne Room. "But I've heard stories from the elder Sailors."

"Well, duh, you've never been here," Melissa muttered under her breath.She rolled her eyes.

"I heard the stories too," Pluto replied as she approached the throne. "None of them were good." She pulled a small device from her breast pocket.Brushing the dust off a murky globe the size of a softball, she placed the device atop it.

"Neo-Queen Serenity gave me direct orders to recover the conversion bed and the scrying orb specifically. They are too valuable to leave here where anyone has access to them." Any further comment from Pluto stopped when Mars staggered against the wall and collapsed.The Sailors rushed over to her.

"I feel the children," Mars forced the words from her jaws, clenched with the strength of her vision."They're in danger!Very strong."

"I'll go," Sailor Moon said. "You keep a lookout here."

"That will not be necessary," an angry voice hissed from the shadows.

A sinister laugh echoed around the throne room, and a female voice added, "Yes. Why go looking for trouble when it is so eager to find you?"At that, the ghostly figures of Malachite and Zoisite stepped into the light.

"You thought you could defeat me," another voice whispered from the shadows near the throne, "You should know it takes more than a single attack from a weakling little girl to defeat me." 

Queen Beryl coalesced from the blackness, and took a seat on her throne.

Sailor Mercury was the first to recover from the surprise at seeing these relics from the past. "I don't know what you are," she growled, "or where you came from.But you are trying my patience!You arealready dead!"

"Yes," Beryl said, "and I sympathize. I know it's been a terrible day for you." Beryl's hand flicked Pluto's device from the top of her scrying orb and she activated it with a quick gesture.The Orb projected its contents into the space between Beryl and the Sailors. The girlswere forced to re live the last, agonizing moments of Hotaru's life.

Beryl smiled cruelly. "That must have hurt."

Mercury screamed with rage. "MERCURY SHARD!" A jagged spear of ice formed in Sailor Mercury's hand.She launched it toward the mistress of the Negaverse.At the last moment, Malachite imposed himself between the shard and his queen.The ice shard was absorbed within the folds of his cape. "I believe you have forgotten someone," he said.

"Yes," Zoisite agreed. "ZOI!" Zoisite's darkforce attack stabbed toward Sailor Neptune's back.She shuddered as the hideous energy battered her defenses.Sailor Jupiter hurled a lightning attack at Zoisite, who had to abandon her darkforce attack to dodge. 

The Sailors traded attack after attack with Beryl's lieutenants…

== * **SM *==**

Outside Castle Beryl

Jedite laughed triumphantly as he watched the bus filled with screaming children fall slowly into the chasm next to the castle. The ledge the bus rested on was shattered, a result of repeated blasts of darkforce energy.

Jedite leaned forward to further inspect his handiwork.He was jerked out of his self-congratulatory reverie when a voice behind him said, "You always were a self-centered jerk, Jedite!"

Jedite smoothly turned and faced the newcomer. "You always were a weak fool, Nephrite!"

"I'm warning you," Nephrite growled. "Back off!"

"Why?" Jedite asked coldly. "I am obeying the queen's orders. What is it Nephrite? Have you gone soft? Why do you care if a few human brats get wasted? It's more power for you, me and the Negaverse!"

As the bus floated further into the depths of the chasm, the shouts and pleas of the young passengers grew more desperate and loud. One voice seemed to ring out over the others…

"Molly…" Nephrite gasped as he stepped toward the jagged cliff.

"What?" Jedite taunted. "Is someone you know down there? Well, whoever it is, they will soon feed the power that is the Negaverse!"

With a roar, Nephrite plowed into his ex-comrade.

== * **SM *==**

The Throne Room

From her kneeling position, Sailor Jupiter shouted "JUPITER THUNDER DRAGON!" Her attack was aimed high and missed Zoisite. The attack screamed past him and crashed into the wall, showering the villain with a fine powder of soot. 

Zoisite reacted just as Jupiter planned…she landed lightly on the ground.Jupiter lunged off the ground and slammed into Zoisite with the full force of her body.

Sailor Mars glared at Malachite, her eyes filled with venomous hate."Feel the fire, Flyboy!" She yelled. "MARS CELESTIAL FIRE…SURROUND!" The swirling bolts of primal fire pelted Malachite and he stumbled to the ground with a thud.A film of rage veiled his eyes as he looked up at the hated Sailor Soldier. "I'll rip your heart out for that!"He rolled up from the ground enveloping Mars with darkforce bolts.She screamed, but held her ground.Mercury saw Mars fighting Malachite alone, and rushed to her defense.She threw up a field of fog that blocked Malachite's line of sight and forced him to break off his attack.

Sailor Uranus hacked desperately at Beryl with her sword.Beryl grinned with cruel amusement."You can't hurt me with a sword!" She cackled mockingly.

"You'll have to kill me," Uranus stated flatly."You'll have to kill all of us."

"Luckily, that's not a problem for me," Beryl smirked as she raked her sharp nails across Bethany's face.The injured Sailor fell to the stone floor in agony. "Taking you out will be too easy!"

== * **SM *==**

Outside Castle Beryl

Jedite slammed his hand into Nephrite's torso, easily penetrating his chest cavity.Nephrite screamed and tried to pull away.

"Why do you bother, Nephrite?"Jedite smiled maliciously,"Give in! Let death come quickly!"  
"Ha!" Nephrite's choked laugh was cut off abruptly as Jedite squeezed his fist tighter and tighter.He cried out through the pain, "You are as stupid as you are selfish! We ARE dead!"

"Mind if we join this party?"

The two combatants glanced up in unison in the direction of the voice. The elder Sailors stood there defiantly.

"Certainly!" Jedite replied as he resumed his attack on Nephrite. "You will all have an equal opportunity to die!"

Nephrite growled in agony. "Sailors! Help me! The children…!"The rest of his words were choked off by Jedite's brutal assault.

Venus calmly stepped forward and delivered a crescent beam that knocked Jedite back and away from Nephrite.Mercury, who had to be held back by Mars and Jupiter broke free and ran forward.

"MERCURY ICE STORM BLAST!" Jedite was frozen in a thick block of ice.

Mercury grabbed Nephrite roughly and dragged him to the edge of the chasm. "Where are the children?" Mercury demanded. Nephrite pointed.

"Down there."

== * **SM *==**

The Throne Room

"Enough with the pleasantries," Beryl snarled. "Time to die!" Spikes of darkforce energy shot out of her fingers and knifed into the Sailors. As the vile energy shimmered, the Sailors collapsed one by one. Beryl roared in victory.

"I believe you're celebrating a bit early," Sailor Moon growled as she fought to stand. "It's time to take you down a notch or two. I stand for love, justice, and my friends! In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

Sailors Mars and Venus looked at each other and then: "MARS FIRE IGNITE!" and "VENUS CRESCENT BEAM!" The twinned attacks snaked forward and exploded around Malachite and Zoisite.As they were borne backwards by the force of the blast, they realized that they would not survive. They turned to each other. 

Fighting through the agony, Zoisite smiled at her mate. "I love you." She said quietly.

"And I love you," Malachite replied. They then faded from view in a wisp of black smoke.

As the smoke died away, Beryl descended from her dais and stood proudly before her throne. "You still haven't won! You have not beaten me!"

"An oversight," Sailor Moon replied. "That we mean to correct!"

Sailor Mars stepped up and shouted "MARS STAR POWER!" She was sheathed in an angry field of fire.It flowed around and through the young woman, transforming her into a fiery phoenix.Shafts of brilliant light stabbed out in all directions, blinding everyone in the room and lighting up all of the shadows.

Beryl shrank back against the wall, away from the light.Mars' painful transformation was complete, and she charged Queen Beryl, who tried to flee into the next chamber.Mars grabbed her and pulled her into a bear hug! 

Beryl screamed in horrible agony as the fire of the phoenix scorched her.She was enveloped in an angry sheath of flames. Her body wracked with pain, Beryl clawed at the young woman and tried to escape her embrace. Mars gritted her teeth with determination and squeezed tighter.

Sailor Mars whirled around so that Beryl's back faced the rest of the Sailors. "Sailor Moon!" She screamed. "Throw your tiara!"

Sailor Moon did not.

"DO IT NOW" Mars bellowed.Beryl slashed at her head, and viciously dug her nails into Mars' neck.

"I'll hit you!" Sailor Moon cried back.

Mars shook her head."Throw it!Do your job!"

"No!" Sailor Moon was pale fire as she threw her hand in the air and shouted, "MOON STAFF!"

Light flared and the Moon Staff, a longer version of the Moon Scepter appeared in Sailor Moon's hands.

Beryl wrenched herself free _and whirled around.Mars dropped to the floor, __already unconscious."MOON ZERO MAGIC!" A disk of destructive magic appeared at the tip of the staff and floated outward __towards the queen. _

Beryl roared as the energy consumed her._Scorching pain seared through __the very fiber of her being.Her scream shook the Sailors to their bones as her body disintegrated__ before their eyes._

A wraithlike entity floated up from the spot Beryl'_s body occupied only moments before. With an evil laugh, the shadow-form swirled around the room. Beryl's voice boomed, "You still have not defeated me!"_

The wraith rushed across the throne room and slammed into Sailor Mercury, knocking her to the ground _as it vanished into the floor._

"She's gone!" Sailor Neptune shouted as she hugged Sailor Moon. Sailor Jupiter and the others ran checked on Mars and Mercury, both of whom seemed to be recovering quickly.

"You did so well," Mariah whispered to Cass as she helped the injured Sailor to her feet.

"Thank you, Jupiter," Mars smiled weakly, through tears.

The castle shook, throwing the women to the stone floor. "What the…" Sailor Uranus grunted

Nephrite burst into the room. "Sailors! Leave now! Beryl created a reaction within the darkforce underneath the castle.It's set to explode!"

"What happens then?" Neptune asked grimly.

"Most of the Negaverse goes away," Pluto answered, deadpan.

"Oh no!The children!" Sailor Moon shouted and turned for the door.

"There's no time!" Nephrite grabbed her arm.As she struggled to free herself from his grip, he said intently"That darkforce will go at any minute!"

Sailor Moon twisted free and twisted past Nephrite, out of the Throne Room and onto the ledge.She spotted the rest of the elder Sailors spread around the chasm, searching with growing desperation.

"Where are they?" Sailor Moon demanded.

"They're down there!" the elder Mercury sobbed."We can't find them!"

Sailor Moon peered into the ravine for a moment, then muttered, "We don't have time for this…" She thought desperately, but had no idea how to proceed.Time, they needed time…there was no time.They were all lost.She relaxed her mind, and reached out to the children trapped in the darkness.She could tell them it was ok…but there was no way to save them.

== * **SM *==**

The Crystal Palace

"Sandra," Serenity jerked out of her reverie.Suddenly alert, the Queen stood and walked to her throne room.

"She's in danger," the queen announced aloud to the empty room. She approached the crystal throne walking purposefully.Ascending it, she pressed a small button on the right arm.A hidden door slid open in the wall behind the throne.

Neo-Queen Serenity silently swished through the black square in the wall.It was a small circular room, its walls were crystal and lit by a large circle of nine clear globes, a crystal for each one of the planets dedicated to the defense of the Moon Kingdom.She stood in the center.

"May this power bring you all home safely," Serenity said quietly. Then, "PLANET POWER!" 

All of the planet crystals flared to life, flooding the room with harsh, piercing light.Serenity raised her royal scepter in the air and shouted, "MOON REJUVINATION MAGIC!"

A bright beam of intense light shot from the floor and passed like a laser through the glass ceiling.Falling through space, the magical energy reached its destination, crossed the dimensional barrier and vanished.

== * **SM *==**

The Negaverse

In the pools under Castle Beryl, the darkforce bubbled and frothed with the infusion of energy from the extinction of Beryl. 

The Crystal Beam Penetrated the Dimensional Barrier.

The nether magic neared its boiling point, inexorably growing.

The light f Serenity's love cascaded down and lit up the sky over the Negaverse.

The darkforce exploded

Serenity's magic enveloped Castle Beryl.

The deadly energy, meant to obliterate the Negaverse rained softly down upon the dimension.Little by little the light gently transformed it.Blasted buildings melted away and were replaced by spacious cabins and stately mansions. The castles that dotted the once-horrid landscape transmuted to elegant villas. The somber, darkforce-soaked sky turned to crystal blue.The Negaverse became Elysium.

Molly stood atop the flower-speckled cliffs and waited for the Moon Energy to take her home.

"Oh Nephrite," she looked up to the tall man next to her, "It's so beautiful!"

"Yes," Nephrite smiled down at her, "it is."

"The moon," Molly mused, pointing into the sky to the northeast, where the Dark Moon still hung, charcoal in the sky."Why hasn't that changed?"

"The Dark Moon was originally populated by exiles from distant future," Nephlite explained."Part of its creation involved the forces of good.Those same good forces cannot erase evil they create.

"What good is light without darkness…"

"What?" Nephrite asked.

"Oh nothing…just rambling," Molly replied.She smiled at him.

== * **SM *==**

The Crystal Palace

Once the initial celebrations died down, the Sailors, the staff and the workers at the palace gathered to pay respects to their departed friend.Far above, in the depths of space, the Haruka led the palace's lone fighter wing on a flight path taking it over the palace. 

One wingman dropped out of formation as it approached the palace.The fighter swooped over the crowd, performing the "Missing Man" salute to Sailor Saturn.

Although the children were safely at home, sorrow pervaded the crowd.

Serenity silently bowed her head and prayed that no more of her friends would ever fail to return from a mission.She bit her lip and knew it was wishful thinking.

FINI

# FOOTNOTES AND EXPLANATIONS

Quotes:

"What good is light without darkness?" – I believe the bad guy in "Legend" said something along this 

line as he was being killed.

Notes:

- Sorry about the mixing of Japanese and NA names, but in the case of the outer Sailors / senshi, they do

not have names that everyone can agree on. Apologies also to all of the other things which would fall

into this category.

# Fanfic ã1999 – John Brengman and Artemis Publishing

Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, 

ã 1992 by Toei Animation Co Ltd. and based on Kodansha's

manga production of "Sailor Moon", written by Naoko Takeuchi

This fanfic is freely distributed. 

Release date: August 26, 1998

Edited: October 22, 1999

Release: 2nd Edition: October 22, 1999

Release: 3rd Edition: January 16, 2001


	4. SX#4 - The Cycle Broken

Sailor X #4The Cycle Broken

By: John Brengman

Edited by: Jamie Lewis &

Thomas Schell

# PROLOGUE

Beryl wrenched herself free and whirled around.Mars dropped to the floor, already unconscious."MOON ZERO MAGIC!" A disk of destructive magic appeared at the tip of the staff and floated outward towards the queen. 

Beryl roared as the energy consumed her.Scorching pain seared through the very fiber of her being.Her scream shook the Sailors to their bones as her body disintegrated before their eyes.

A wraithlike entity floated up from the spot Beryl's body occupied only moments before. With an evil laugh, the shadow-form swirled around the room. Beryl's voice boomed, "You still have not defeated me!"

The wraith rushed across the throne room and slammed into Sailor Mercury, knocking her to the ground as it vanished into the floor.

Sailor Mercury opened her eyes.She felt icy all over, and it hurt to breathe.Weakness.She never tolerated weakness.She forced herself to sit up.Jupiter and Pluto grabbed her hands and helped her to stand.She shrugged them off. "I'm fine," she muttered coldly.

Too much had happened for the others to be concerned over what was possibly a quirk of Rachel's combustible personality. The wraith shard buried itself deeply in the background of Rachel's psyche and settled down to wait.It needed time to recover.It had found a new home.If it were careful, it would have all the time it needed…

== * **SM *==**

Noruma District, Yotochib Prefecture2:24 PM

Near the shore of Tokyo Harbor

The rain continued to pour from overcast skies.Prefecture police chief Hikari Kumada grimaced into the sky, the weather matching his mood. He stepped through a large puddle next to the railroad tracks and joined another officer stooped down near some dense undergrowth.

Partially obscured by the brackish weeds was the naked body of a young woman. The rain had washed her clean, but both men could clearly see the thin red line that unnaturally cut across the young woman's throat. Her ripped undergarments hung waterlogged from one leg.

The police assumed that the unidentified woman was the tenth victim of a terribly active insane individual who was terrorizing the slums in this area of the Tokyo-Yokohama-Chiba megacity. The police chief had been called in by city elders who hoped his expertise might shed some light on this old case.At the very least, his presence lifted the morale of the local police, and soothed local fears.The perpetrator of these crimes would soon be in custody and on his way to the maximum security facility on Mikura Island. *

But the perpetrator had not been apprehended, and was not yet on his way to a maximum security facility.While the city maintained its faith in the police chief, Hikari himself was beginning to show signs of his frustration.

"What have you found?" He demanded tersely.

"Not much," Lieutenant Ryunosuke replied as he took pictures of the corpse's neck. "The individual was possibly assaulted and raped. Obviously, she was then killed and dumped here." 

"I don't think we have to pay you thirty-five thousand yen a year for that sort of expert observation," 

Kumada replied.Was it him?"

Ryunosuke turned toward the nearby shoreline and scanned the rock-encrusted ground to the north.Taking a few steps, he stooped down to peer at a wilted scrap of paper.Using tongs he carefully placed it in an evidence bag.He handed the bag to Kumada.A line of worry appeared in between the Chief's eyebrows.

It was a playing card, the Queen of Hearts. On the back of the card was a large red heart surrounded by wicked-looking thorns driving deep into the heart.

"It's him," Kumada muttered as the coroner arrived and Ryunosuke continued the picture taking, then gathering the woman's soaked clothing.It was scatteredhaphazardly manner near the body.The clothes were torn and mangled, a testament to the violence of the crime.Kumada briefed the female coroner, while the Lieutenant continued to pick up debris.Ryunosuke noticed that the coroner was on the verge of tears.Empathy and horror were evident on her features.That must make her job difficult, he thought.Looking at her again, he also felt a flash of pity in his heart.It hurts, but she is a better coroner for it.

Kumada was just finishing up with the coroner when he heard Ryunosuke give an excited shout from a storm drain along the walking path. "Sir," he waved, "here's another one….and she's alive!"The coroner turned her head so that the neither her smile of desperate joy and relief nor her tears would be revealed.

== * **SM *==**

Bethany's House5:07 PM

South side of Tokyo

"And in local news," the television anchor said, "the Playing Card Killer has struck again, this time in the Noruma District near Yokohama. Police reports indicate…"

Sandra, Rachel and Bethany sat transfixed by the news.Precautions in their neighborhood had been taken after the first couple of victims had been found.

Luna originally advised the girls to return to their residence at the foundation headquarters, but Sandra objected."I think we could all use some time away from there," she said.When Serenity agreed, the majority of the girls headed to Earth for a bit of much needed rest and relaxation.Two days after they arrived, the police reported the first victim.That was three weeks ago today.

The news report continued. "Again, police found the trademark playing card at the scene of the crime…" A picture of the playing card appeared on the screen behind the anchors' head. "Police advise the population that they are making progress on this case.Additionally, there are reports that one of today's victims was found barely-alive…"

"I think we may have to rethink the whole R&R idea," Sandra said quietly. "The base would certainly be safer right now."

Bethany agreed. "The novelty of being back here has certainly worn off."

The girls turned to Rachel, still entranced by the news coverage…..

…. she was carried through the dark living room toward her parents' bedroom.Whimpering with panic, she craned her head towards the couch and saw her mother was draped unconscious over the side.A bottle stood on the end table, uncapped.A shot glass lay on its side, alcohol still dripping onto the carpet.

The back of her head cracked against the door frame as he carried her into the bedroom.It didn't hurt.She could not seem to feel normal things.She didn't understand.She didn't have a voice. 

The girl was thrown roughly onto the bed with filthy sheets.It was like a silent movie.Hurt and violence twisted on her face, but the scene was carried out in complete, oppressive silence.Before she could scamper away and hide like she always did, his arms pinned her to the blankets.His hand slapped down over her mouth, bringing tears to her eyes.

She squirmed but it was no use. He pushed her nightshirt above her hips. His weight pressed down, compressing her lungs, forcing her legs apart…She gasped silently, mouthing words she couldn't voice, not even knowing what she was trying to say.No.

His hand reached out gripping the nightstand near the bed.A deck of cards tumbled to the carpet.One landed face down…a picture of a heart pierced by thorns….

## She tried to leave her body…

"Rachel?"

Rachel jerked out of her past and saw her two friends looking at her with concern. She suddenly stood up and crossed the room, grabbing her jacket and striding towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Sandra asked.

"…hospital…" drifted back through the door as Rachel left the room.

Beth and Sandra exchanged worried glances."We'd better go with her," offered Bethany.Sandra grabbed her jacket and headed out the door, Bethany a step behind her.

== * **SM *==**

Yokohama Regional Hospital6:48 PM

Rachel wrapped her coat around her body as if to shield herself from harm as she ghosted down the halls of the hospital.She lost Sandra and Bethany easily and got as far as the nurse's station before she was stopped.Stating that she was a relative of the victim she marched firmly into the room.

When she reached the bedside of the woman, Rachel stopped and looked down at the frail figure swathed in bandages.Machines whirred in the background, keeping the battered form alive.Shadows shrouded the room.

A hand touched Rachel's shoulder and she whipped around to see Sandra standing there, forcing a smile.Rachel stiffened and turned her back on the girls.Oblivious to Rachel's uncontrolled emotions, Bethany and Sandra stood and looked at the unconscious form in front of her, letting the sights and sounds of the room wash over them. 

A police officer entered the room. "Who here is the relative?" he asked brusquely.

Rachel immediately turned and left the room. The police officer turned and put his arm out to stop her.Sandra started after Rachel, leaving Bethany to face the policeman.Rachel had only a few seconds head start but those precious seconds were enough.Sandra's friend was nowhere to be found.She stopped and scanned the halls.Noticing the stairway she decided that might be the quickest way out of the building.

The door slammed shut as Sandra ran down the stairs. The light glared harshly off the white concrete walls.Sandra ran, searching ahead of her hoping for a sign that she was going in the right direction.

"Stop," a cold voice ordered as Sandra reached the second floor landing.Sandra looked and saw Rachel, her eyes the eyes of a stranger, her face a mask.

Sandra started to jump down over the railing to Rachel, but as she stepped forward, Rachel snarled.A feral noise emerged from her throat.Sandra froze.Rachel backed into the wall, growling like an animal.Sandra steeled herself, and jumped over the railing.Faster than she could have imagined, Rachel moved forward, grabbed the front of Sandra's shirt and slammed her into the wall.Sandra's head smacked hard against the concrete wall and she slumped in a heap on the floor.

Only minutes later, Sandra was seated on a bed while a doctor checked her head. An officer grimly stood guard outside the door. Bethany sat next to her friend as Sandra told her what happened in the stairway.

"She did that?" Bethany's eyes widened with hurt at the thought.

Sandra refused to look up.The officer stepped forward. "Ms. Usagi, we're going to have to ask a few questions."  
"We don't have time, officer," Sandra replied as she produced her business card from her purse."Tell your superiors to call the Luna Foundation's legal offices. They will provide you with a complete report as soon as it's available." She grabbed Bethany's arm and hurried them out of the room."Where's Rachel?" Bethany asked as they hurried down the hallway toward the exit.

"I don't know," Sandra replied. "Which is why we have to call Luna and have her use the base's scanners to lock in on her."

== * **SM *==**

The shard rejoiced.The perfect hiding place…a person with huge emotional resources to feed upon. Gleefully it watched from the inside as Rachel ran through the slums of Yokohama.They grew around the industrial coastline like a fungus.She passed discarded buildings and piles of rubble without noticing, intent upon only one thing…

"Revenge!" The wraith shrieked happily. Then, to ensure that nothing would stop her from carrying out her vengeance, it pulled a memory from her past…

…..Rachel got off the school bus near her house in Noruma where her mother had taken her after the two women were kicked out of the house by her father. The fence protected the adequate yard from debris and trash outside. The battle against the slums was a hard one.Blue paint on the house showed its age. Debris piled up against the outside of the fence, closing in the house. Most of the people on the block were either old or too poor to move themselves to a better neighborhood, or too useless for their families to move them.

This neighborhood had one thing that kept Rachel and her mother here.That was safety. Her father would never find them.

Rachel pulled her key from her pocket and reached for the doorknob.She felt a flash of apprehension as the door opened without resistance."It's usually locked…Maybe she forgot?"Rachel didn't really think so, and she entered the house cautiously.

There were no dishes to be done in the kitchen.A first.Rachel shrugged off her fears. That's one chore I don't have to do, she thought.

She entered the living room. The curtains were closed, and the lamp was on. At four in the afternoon?

Rachel went to turn the light off, but as she reached the couch she saw her mother lying on the ground behind it. "Mother?" Rachel said.

It was then she noticed the blank stare.

"Mom…." Rachel whispered weakly.Her eyes stung with tears.

The woman's necklace was wrapped too tightly around her throat and a small trail of blood escaped from her nose.

Rachel turned and stumbled from the room.She didn't notice, in the living room, obscured under the coffee table…a playing card…

Not even the wraith could retrieve the memory of what happened after that. 

== * **SM *==**

The Yokohama slums7:50 PM

The house she arrived at had not fared well, even compared to the rest of the neighborhood.Parts of the roof had caved in. Some of the walls looked like they were about to.The windows that remained were cracked or entirely gone. This place was no longer a family home.

It was however, an excellent place for a man to hide if he never wanted to be found.

Rachel stepped over the rubble and entered the house, not bothering to hide her movements or mask the noise her feet made, crunching over the debris littering the ground.A familiar coffee table stood along one wall. Gas lamps illuminated the room. 

Near the center of the table, on top of a pile of scraps and trash, sat a deck of playing cards, thin from use.

"Can I help you with something?" A rough voice inquired from the doorway.She turned and saw a man in the shadows.Tattered clothes did their best to conceal his body, but the man's skin could be seen through the gaps.His dark hair and stubble blended with the darkness of the doorway.

"This is over," Rachel stated flatly.She walked two steps over to the table and kicked it viciously. The cards spilled to the floor.

The man looked at Rachel blankly. "What?" All I need is a new deck of cards…"

Anger stirred within Rachel.The game, beginning all over again.Act innocent.Act like you haven't done anything wrong.

## "NOT the cards!"her mouth turned down, blocking tears. "It's what you DO!"

"Now, I'm not sure that I-" recognition changed his face. A slow smile spread across his decadent face."Rachel," he hissed.

== * **SM *==**

The Slums8:15 PM

Sailor Moon, Jupiter, Uranus and Pluto rushed down the deserted streets. Most of the people who lived here retreated into the rubble before sunset. The Sailors didn't have to worry about being stopped.It was still early for the criminals, and the authorities…well…they didn't have to worry about being stopped by authorities.

"You're sure she's in this area?" Sailor Uranus asked.

"Yep," Jupiter brushed her bangs back from her face. "According to Luna, we're within five blocks of her location."

"I hope we're not too late," Uranus was close to Rachel.

"Hold on, Rachel," Sandra thought to herself."We're coming."

== * **SM *==**

Rachel backed up to the wall near the table.

"I told you what I'd do!" he growled, brandishing his knife as he advanced toward her. "I warned you!"

"Like you 'warned' mom," Rachel fought her own emotions.

"That bitch! She took what I gave her, and deserted me! She betrayed me!Faithless BITCH!"

"You…you…I was NINE!"She couldn't hold back the tears now.Not even the years of living behind herself could stop them now.

"You wanted it!"The words spat out from his twisted mouth.

"I wanted to love you!"Rachel sobbed now, doubled over, hugging herself, squeezing her eyes shut and moaning.""Daddy!"

With a wordless snarl he grabbed her shoulder and ripped her shirt off.Rachel rocked back and forth on her heels and turned her head away from him.She convulsed rhythmically, eyes swollen from tears.He threw her roughly against the wall and she staggered back to her feet.As he came at her again, she threw her arms out and screamed.It was like a wounded animal inside her mouth.The harsh noise forced him back in surprise.

"NO!" her red face contorted, cheeks shining from tears.

"MERCURY POWER!" As the transformation sequence progressed, the wraith drank in the emotional energy that radiating from the girl.Soon, it would be fully healed… Mercury was screaming in the background.

"Don't you ever touch me again!"

The man snarled with rage.He lunged at Mercury, who slammed her foot into his stomach and sent him flying into the far wall.

"You BITCH!" he screamed as he tried to stand.

Mercury ignored his words, his unimportant words.He was like a distant fog to her as she prepared to call upon her full powers.

A globe of ice enveloped her, then began expanding, filling the room. The pale blue light imploded all the lamps and blew out the windows.The wind howled through the room savagely.

"My thanks, Sailor Mercury," Queen Beryl howled with joy. "I am whole once more!"

The temperature in the room plummeted as Queen Beryl emerged from the shell of Rachel's body.

"My gift to you," Beryl sneered within Mercury's mind. "Arise, ETERNAL SAILOR MERCURY!"

Snakes of pure energy swarmed out of her ruined body and snaked around the room, eagerly searching out energy.Wisps of blue fog descended upon Rachel's father, tearing into him, leaching every ounce of energy from his twisted form.

The darkforce bloomed within Rachel as the death energy flooded her being.Searing shards of light ripped every bit of flesh from the corpse, and blasted the bones into rubble.

Her task finished, Mercury tried to release the power and sink into oblivion…and found she couldn't. As she tried, a blanket over her consciousness forced her into a corner of her mind.Falling into a trance, she hummed an eerie melody.* Wavering a bit as she hit the high note, the sphere of primal energy blasted out of the house, tearing open the walls.

In the depths of Mercury's mind, Beryl laughed cruelly as the deadly sphere expanded.

== * **SM *==**

"Oh My God!" The words escaped Uranus'mouth as she stared in horror at the sphere of light.

"What is that?" Jupiter pointed to the blue sphere.

Sailor Moon snapped out of her mental fugue "Whatever it is," she gulped. "Luna just messaged me.Its off the scales. We're getting the hell out of here, now."

"Mercury!" Uranus started towards the bubble.

"She's in the center of that!" Sailor Moon shouted through the howling wind as she pointed to the frozen light, expanding in its deadly circle."We can't get to her! Sailor Jupiter, do it, now!"

The Sailors vanished as Jupiter teleported them to safety.

== * **SM *==**

The Crystal Palace

Neo-Queen Serenity entered the Star Chamber with silent footsteps.The walls were made from quartz crystal and lighted by a large circle of nine clear crystal globes. Each crystal represented a planet dedicated to the defense of the Moon Kingdom.The queen entered the circle in silence and stood at its center, briefly noting that the blue crystal representing Mercury was dark.

Suddenly, she tilted her chin up. "May the use of this power protect the innocent!" Serenity cried. "PLANET POWER!" The planet crystals flared to life, bathing the room in harsh crystal fire. Serenity raised her royal scepter and shouted, "MOON REJUVINATION MAGIC!"

A bright beam of intense light bloomed in the chamber and shot through the ceiling. Shooting through space, the magical energy circled the moon once, then sped for Earth.

== * **SM *==**

The moonbeam slammed into the blue dome.Waves of energy ripped over the sphere, engulfing it. Both the sphere and the moonbeam vanished.

In the slums of Yokohama, nothing stirred.Within the crater, Sailor Mercury was gone.

== * **SM *==**

"Are you sure?" Brandy demanded intently.The Sailors were gathered at the Luna Foundation, on orders to recuperate as best they could.

Sandra turned her head away from the window, tearing her eyes away from the view of the Earth. "She is alive, that's all we know," she said.

"What can we do?" Brandy asked impatiently."Let's do it now."

"Nothing," Sandra stated firmly. "She doesn't want to be found.The Foundation has contacted the authorities in Tokyo. If they find her, we'll know."

Brandy swallowed the tears in her throat and left the room."We have to help her…"Tears spilled over her cheeks and she walked faster, towards the privacy of her room.

FINI

# FOOTNOTES AND EXPLANATIONS

Notes:

1: While this story is not hentai or ecchi in nature, an advisory will be posted due to its content.

2: Mikura Island, also called Mikura Jima is located approximately 150 km southeast of Tokyo.

3: The melody Sailor Mercury sang to unleash the primal sphere was taken from "Smack my Bitch Up", by

Prodigy, copyrighted 1997. (The above title is a guestimate…the album labels substitute a picture of an ant for the word "bitch"

# Fanfic ã1999 – John Brengman and Artemis Publishing

Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, 

ã 1992 by Toei Animation Co Ltd. and based on Kodansha's

manga production of "Sailor Moon", written by Naoko Takeuchi

This fanfic is freely distributed. 

Release date: September, 1998

Edited: November 11, 1999

Release: 2nd Edition: November 11, 1999

Release: 3rd Edition: January 16, 2001


	5. SX#5 - Transfiguration

Sailor X #5Transfiguration

By: John Brengman

Edited by: Thomas Schell

== * **SM *==**

"_Do you know the people fighting for your head?"_

- Queensryche, "_The Voice Inside"1997_

…violation… The memory continued insistently.

"No," Rachel thought. "You are banished."

…violation… The memory insisted again.

"No!" Rachel screamed to herself. But, this was not an irritating lyric that would not go away…

…violation… and now the pictures began to flash through her mind again…. the girl was carried through the dark living room toward her parents' bedroom…panicked… thrown roughly onto the disheveled bed… pajamas ripped open… a heart surrounded by thorns….

…violation…

"No!" Rachel thought sternly, but she could sense the wavering. "I have defeated you," but the thought

sounded hollow and only served to bring about another assault from the past…

…violation…

Rachel stumbled and fell against the stone wall of a buildingunder the barrage. "No…", she hissed under her breath…

…violation…

The young girl began to cry and her tears mixed with the torrential rain that pummeled the city. She collapsed to the ground…

…VIOLATION…

"No…" Rachel pleaded…

== * **SM *==The Crystal Palace**

"_Hangin' by a thread, problems in my head…."_

-Queensryche, "Hit the Black"1997

…violation…

Sandra awoke with a start and shot up in bed. For some reason, her first thought was to gather the rumpled covers of her bed more tightly around her as ifhiding her body. Banishing that thought with an angry shake of her head, she arose and slipped into a robe. Tying the robe's belt about her waist, Sandra 

walked over to the huge window with its view of Earth as it sparkled with the light of the dawning morning. 

Sandra looked over at the clock on her nightstand. "Quarter-til seven," she thought. "No sense trying to get more sleep…"

…violation…

Sandra turned back to the window as the waves of memory crested over mental barriers erected to shield from intense emotional trauma.

"Rachel…" she murmured worriedly.

== * **SM *==Noruma District**

"_He said, 'Would you respect me, if I didn't have this gun?_

_Cuz without it, I don't get it, and that's why I carry one."_

-Phil Collins, "Both Sides of the Story," 1993

The Yotochib police arrived at the scene of the fifth murder in the Noruma District in less than three days. That in itself was not strange…there were often more than double that many murders in this shattered area of the city.

Not many of the victims were frozen solid however.

"Whoever this person is," police lieutenant Ryunosuke thought as he examined the ice-cold corpses of four men, "he or she is quite picky about who they kill."

Scattered around the ground were various tools of the drug trade…pipes, needles, and other paraphernalia. One officer emerged from a makeshift hut further down the cul-de-sac where these thugs had met their end. "Lieutenant," he said, then tossed a small plastic bag to Ryunosuke. 

Looking through the clear flimsy material that kept its contents safely dried, Ryunosuke say dozens of oval shaped capsules, each filled with a deep blue liquid…

"Yep," the junior officer said, noticing the expression on Ryunosuke's face. "It's Skye." He nodded toward the ramshackle hovel. "There's more in there…crystal meth, cocaine, opium, and enough chemicals and equipment to put our chem lab to shame. Whoever did this just popped the biggest drug ring I've seen in my ten years on the police force here."

"Yes," Ryunosuke agreed.

"But two wrongs don't make a right," he thought.

== * **SM *==The Crystal Palace**

After all of the young women had gathered in the queen's study along with Neo Queen Serenity and all three of the cats, Sandra had started to tell them what she had sensed from Rachel. Most of the Sailors reacted throughout the tale with various expressions of shock and horror. Bethany was stone-faced, she hated any of this kind of talk. Vanessa was similarly dispassionate, but she tried to comfort Victoria, who seemed about ready to flee the room.

Sandra found those reactions to be normal under the circumstances. However, her mother and the two older cats also were showing no significant reaction. Seeing this, Sandra trailed off with her thought…

"…and you know this…," she said softly. Puzzlement arose from the gathered women, who then noticed that Sandra was gazing sternly at her mother.

Serenity and the cats felt eight pairs of eyes on them as they each tried to decide how best to disclose what had remained a secret since the founding of the team.

Finally, Serenity stood and stepped forward.

"The guardians and I have known about Rachel for quite some time…"

***

Tokyo Central Detention Center

May 25, 2012

A woman in her thirties sat across the desk from Director Yanori Ikeda and said the unthinkable. "I want an inmate released into my custody, and I want it done now."

The bulky man squared his shoulders as if to block the woman's access to the inmates personally. "I don't take orders from civilians," he growled as he puffed on a cigar. The smoke wafted up to join the cloud that fogged the upper regions of the posh office. "And I certainly don't take orders from a blonde

wench, Ms…."

"Tsukino," the statuesque woman said as she stroked the black cat on her lap. "Ms. Tsukino Usagi." She paused, enjoying the Bond-like moment. "Under the UN Outreach Code of 2010, I am taking custody of a person detained here named Rachel Kyle."

"Your custody?" Ikeda asked skeptically. "Ms. Kyle is here for the crimes of burglary and assault, more than one charge of assault, actually…"

"Yes," the woman replied. "That is not relevant. From the moment she is released, she will be my responsibility."

"What do you plan to do with her?"

"That also is not relevant," the woman replied dryly. "I assure you that she will be enrolled in a program which will fully rehabilitate her."

Ikeda tried to protest, but the woman broke in. "I plan to take her off your hands. No doubt that cell will be filled five minutes after Rachel Kyle leaves."

"No doubt there are more than enough ruffians out there in the earthquake zones for you to round up." The woman thought of the quake that devastated the city a month earlier, of the thousands of people left homeless…the roving bands of foragers wearing tattered remains of clothing…

There was a long pause while the director mulled the statement over, his thoughts possibly mirroring those of the woman sitting across from him.

Finally, "Okay, Ms. Tsukino. The young lady will be immediately released into your custody. You have fifteen minutes to remove her from the premises or this deal is off."

The woman stood and bowed slightly. "Thank you."

The woman escorted a thin raven-haired girl onto the launchpad atop the detention center. The wind-driven rain blew the girl's hair back away from her face as she and the woman approached a lone shuttle. The woman's black cat was hunched down in the folds of her coat, held by her arms.

As the two approached the shuttle, the driver's side door opened and a man stepped out. He fought the wind seemingly without effort and came around the shuttle to open the back door facing the oncoming women.

Just before she reached the shuttle, the woman heard a voice shout, "Ms. Tsukino!" She turned.

It was Ikeda.

The wind whipped his tan cape, and the wind drove through his hair. All of this seemed to make the man look colder. "I don't want to find her back here!" He said. "Ever again!"

The women got into the back seat of the car-like shuttle without comment. 

Once they were safely away from the wind and the rain, and the fuming Ikeda, the woman looked over at the young girl she had rescued from the prison. The girl still wore her prison garb. "Are you okay?" The woman asked, putting a hand lightly on the girl's shoulder. The girl did not answer and simply stared straight ahead…

Serenity removed her coat and Luna emerged. "Pilot," the queen said. "Take us home." The pilot nodded slightly and pulled a headset over his head. "This is UN Shuttle 34 to UN Geneva, please clear us for a glide path out of the Tokyo region, then clear us for atmospheric exit."

The reply came, "UN Shuttle 34, you are cleared for southeast glide out of Toyko and ascent to orbital

Level."

The women in the back did not seem to notice any of this. Luna perched herself on the queen's lap. Looking up, the feline gazed into the eyes of her dear friend. "Shall I begin?" Serenity nodded.

Luna leaped onto Rachel's lap. The girl was involuntarily drawn by this intrusion, and Luna took that opportunity to lock her gaze with an unblinking stare. Before Rachel could resist, Luna had initiated a mind link.

The shuttle lifted off silently from the top of the prison. It's navigation lights blinked on as it rotated once above the landing pad. It then made another lazy rotation around the top of the building before straightening up and continuing a steady climb into the sky, heading southeast over the harbor. People on the ground, having long become accustomed to such sights, largely ignored the ship passing overhead. Besides, the everyday concerns of life occupied too much of their time.

***

"Through the mind link," Serenity continued, "we learned everything."

"But we decided that secrecy should be held in this case," Luna said. "It would not do to have you know _exactly who you had to entrust yourself to."_

"That's rather cold, don't you think?" Melissa asked.

"They figured we would not want to have someone on the team who was a criminal and a psycho," Cass said.

"Judging from your reaction," Luna replied. "We were right."

"This argument is getting us nowhere," Sandra stated. "I am going to help Rachel. No matter what her past, she is one of the Sailors now, and we have to stick together. Queen Beryl's done something to her, so we have to help. But I have two questions first."

"Okay," Luna said. She knew what was coming was going to be rough.

"One," Sandra said. "How did this get by Amy? After all, she had to have a say in this."

"Actually," Artemis replied, "Rachel was presented to Amy as our choice. We told her that we felt we could mold the girl into a hero, a girl worthy of being a Sailor."

"I was not lying when I said I planned to rehabilitate Rachel," Serenity said.

"You girls must give Rachel a chance," Luna said. "If she can continue to focus her emotions, her control of the power of Mercury will grow. She has the potential to become a great force for good if she is surrounded by people who will give her a break."

Brandy nodded her agreement. "It sounds like she's been through a lot." The others nodded their agreement.

"Question Two," Sandra said, silencing the room.

"Since you have held information from us, how can we trust you?"

Dead silence filled the room for an awkward moment.

"I am sorry," Luna replied finally. "I know you will have trouble taking me at my word for a while but please know that the only reason we hid this from you was for the good of the Sailors."

"Yes," Artemis said. "Had we sprung this on you at a time when you barely knew each other, our efforts to recruit a new group of Sailors would have fallen apart. You never would have come together as a team. With the Negaverse out there, we could not take that chance."

"But again," Luna said. "I apologize. Please forgive us"

Sandra stood. "Done. We have a friend out there who needs us, and it's past time for us to do something about it." Looking at the others, she said, "Brandy, Cass, Bethany, you're with me. The rest of you, hold here in case more help is needed. Vanessa, is the Timegate operational?"

"It is," Vanessa replied.

"Good," Sandra said. "We'll have to use it to transport to Earth. Let's go."

== * **SM *==Noruma District**

Sailor Mercury smiled as she drained the energy from the three thugs at her feet. The pale light from the energy drain faded as the bodies froze into lifelessness. Stepping over the corpses, Mercury kicked over a barrel, spilling the drugs atop it into the water-soaked alley.

Satisfied that the deed had been done, Mercury stepped out of the alley and into a circle of Sailors.

"This has gone far enough," Sailor Mars said.

"We know about what Beryl has done," Sailor Venus said.

"And we're here to stop you." Sailor Uranus said.

Before Sailor Moon could add anything, Mercury answered.

"MERCURY BUBBLES…BLAST!" After a quick flash of bubbles, the air filled with fog.

"What the…" Uranus exclaimed.

Sailor Moon felt something brush past her. "She's over here!" The whir of a motor blared out as the Sailors gathered around Sailor Moon and the fog lifted from the area. They could see Sailor Mercury speeding down the street on a motorcycle that had belonged to one of the thugs.

"She's got a good start,' Sailor Uranus said as she mounted one of the pair of bikes remaining. "Let's get going." Sailors Mars and Venus grabbed the remaining bike, while Sailor Moon swung herself behind Sailor Uranus. With a roar, the two bikes took off after Sailor Mercury.

The chase began in the Noruma District, then snaked its way to the four-lane Intercity Highway. The road was nearly vacant as the three motorcycles entered the highway west of Noruma and headed toward the mountains west of the metropolis.

The Sailors closed the distance between themselves and Sailor Mercury as they entered the foothills.

When Sailor Moon and Sailor Uranus got within shouting distance of Sailor Mercury, Sailor Moon yelled, "Pull over!" With a grimace, she thought, "I sound like a cop."

The highway started a slow downward slope toward a mountain tunnel.

Sailor Mercury turned around and took her hands away from the handle bar. "Eat asphalt!" She shouted.

"MERCURY BUBBLES…BLAST!" Again a fog obscured the Sailors' vision and Sailor Uranus had to concentrate on keeping the bike on the highway. They soon emerged into the clear….and inside the tunnel.

Uranus stepped down on the gas and screeched ahead to come alongside Sailor Mercury.

"Get ready to jump over!" Uranus shouted. 

Sailor Moon looked down at the highway as it sped by beneath then. In most cases, she was vastly different from her mother, but the thought of being smeared over the highway was not a pleasant one. "No way!" She yelled.

"Do you have a better idea?" Uranus asked.

"Damn right I do!" With that, Sailor Moon mentally reached out to Mercury. The tendrils of her mental contact reached toward Mercury's mind…and they were suddenly batted away with such force that Sailor Moon nearly fainted.

The chase continued as the highway exited the tunnel, and arced north and east back toward the city of Tokyo. All three bikes fought the wind, the rain, and the occasional car or truck as they battled each other.

This continued as the highway entered the city of Tokyo and headed toward the downtown area.

The Intercity Highway was a new highway, a modification of the highways in the areaafter the earthquake of April, 2012. The final section was a four mile stretch through the southern edge of downtown. It was a raised section, built two stories from the ground…and one section was still unfinished. 

This didn't deter Sailor Mercury, who blasted past the highway construction signs and continued down the road.

"We have got to stop her!" Sailor Moon shouted.

"We should be more worried about stopping ourselves," Sailor Uranus replied. Looking over Uranus' shoulder, Sailor Moon saw that they were going at about 70 miles per hour…on a slick, rain-soaked road.

Sailor Mercury saw that the road was going to abruptly end. She sped up, broke through the final barricades and sailed over the gap, landing with a thud on the other side. 

Sailor Uranus slammed on the brakes and whipped the bike around…coming to a stop within a foot of the edge. Sailor Moon watched while some gravel fell off the edge of the highway and plummeted to the ground. Sailor Mars stopped her bike a few feet away. The four Sailors watched as Mercury sped away.

== * **SM *==Downtown Tokyo**

"_I am I…no, not THAT"_

-Queensryche, "I Am I" (1994)

The Sailors used the scanners at the Crystal Palace to track Mercury to an area outside a half-completed office building. They fanned out after discovering the motorcycle she had been riding…abandoned.

A think fog hazed over the area, cutting down vision to a few feet in front of each girl. Sailor Venus looked up from her communicator. "This fog is interfering with the castle's sensors. They can't get a good reading."

"That's the last time I complain about her powers being weak," Sailor Mars said.

"Are you sure this isn't just this storm?" Uranus asked.

"A fog bank in the middle of what used to be a typhoon?" Sailor Moon asked from an area near the building, "I think not."

On the second story of the building, a pair of hands gripped a length of wire, wrapping it around clenched fists, pulling it tight…

"No sign of her over this way," Mars said.

"Wait," Venus said quickly, "If this fog is from Mercury, then…"

"Ambush!" Uranus exclaimed.

A shout drew their attention as Mercury leaped from the office building and dropped down behind Sailor Moon. As Sailor Moon turned to face Mercury, the other Sailors rushed to assist. Mercury reacted before any of them, whipping the wire around Sailor Moon's neck. She then ripped Sailor Moon off her feet, her screams squelched by the wire that constricted tightly around her throat.

The other Sailors were about to charge into battle when Sailor Mercury stopped them with a shrieking, "BACK OFF!" The Sailors hesitated, so she added, "or I'll take her damn head off!"

Sailor Moon mentally sensed that Mercury was too absorbed with trying to get as much terror out of the situation, so she reached out to Sailor Venus.

"I am okay," she said, "for now. You keep her attention on you." Sailor Moon pulled out her Moon Wand.

"Oh no you don't!" Mercury yelled seeing this. She wrenched the wire tighter, and Sailor Moon tossed the wand away in what she hoped looked to be an involuntary response to the new wave of pain. As Sailor Venus retrieved the wand from the puddle where it landed, Sailor Moon mentally said, "Use it when I tell you to…not before."

Venus nodded her agreement, then retreated to where the other Sailors were. Shouts of outrage were mingled with pleas for mercy, and all were met with an evil laugh from Mercury.

"You don't get it, do you?" She replied coldly. "This isn't about you, or her." Another twist on the wire shot a wave of pain through Sailor Moon. "This is about me!"

"Hmm," Sailor Moon thought through the haze of her mind. She had to act quick. Mentally, she reached out toward Sailor Mercury, but she didn't get far before she reached a seething cauldron of anger and rage, bubbling up, about ready to boil over…and within all of that, a duality…as if someone else…

"I've got it!" Sailor Moon exclaimed to herself as she delved deeper into the emotional firestorm. Sailor Mercury did not seem to notice the intrusion, so the other Sailors were doing their jobs well. Finally, Sailor Moon thought she was far enough into Mercury's psyche.

It was time to up the ante by giving Beryl exactly what she wanted.

"I am Sailor Moon," she mentally shouted within the recesses of Mercury's mind. "I am the princess of the Moon Kingdom! Queen Beryl, you want to regain your power? You want to be free? DO YOU?" The surrounding area seemed to darken in anger as she asked this. She could distantly feel that her body was on the edge of consciousness. She had to act quickly.

"Then take me!" She shouted. "You want someone with real power, take me!"

As the other Sailors watched, a green mist began to flow from Sailor Mercury. It flowed down and caressed Sailor Moon until she was surrounded by it. Mercury dropped to the ground and Sailor Moon stood up, her back to the others…

The mist wrapped itself around Sailor Moon. She grew taller, her shoulders broadened out, and her hair turned brown. Her skin turned into almost an albino shade of pale.

Venus stepped forward. "What in the…?" The rest of the Sailors stood transfixed by this hideous transformation.

The woman that turned around to face the Sailors was not Sailor Moon. The thin, lithe form that faced them smiled, her hair blown back softly by the dying winds.

Queen Beryl had been reborn.

The Sailors were about to launch themselves into an attack but Sailor Venus held them back. They looked at Venus as if she'd lost her mind.

"Those weren't Sailor Moon's orders," she said simply.

"Now," Beryl said.

"What?" Venus said, looking over toward the evil queen.

"NOW!" Beryl yelled.

"Oh!" Venus exclaimed as she grabbed the Moon Wand and raised it in the air. "On behalf of the Moon," she said. "MOON HEALING ACTIVATION!"

A white beam shimmered from the crystal on the wand and enveloped Beryl in a glowing aura. Beryl let out a scream of pain as the glow grew to blinding strength.

The beam from the wand pulsed in strength. Each pulse shimmered around the now-shrouded form and radiated outward in a wave of heat and light that lit up the night.

After five such pulses, the wand went dark. The aura gradually faded out, and Sailor Moon dropped to the ground next to Sailor Mercury.

== * **SM *==The Crystal Palace**

The girls peered through the glass partition at Rachel, who lay asleep in the castle's infirmary. The lighting was subdued. As they watched, a nurse entered the room, checked Rachel's temperature and pulse, marked the results on her clipboard, freshened the flowers, then left.

None of this disturbed Rachel, or Luna, who had established a mind link with her.

Sandra approached the worried girls. Her neck was in a brace, but otherwise, she was okay. "Luna will do what she can to undo what Beryl did," Sandra said. "But she won't be able to undo all of it."

"How bad is it" Brandy asked worriedly.

"Bad enough," Sandra replied. "She'll still have that wraith shard in her. It just one of those things she'll have to battle and deal with on her own."

"As to the rest, it depends on how far she had gone to put that portion of her life behind her."

"Sounds like she has a rough road ahead," Cass said softly.

"The good thing is," Sandra added, "she's a strong girl, she has a whole set of new powers, and most of all, she has all of us to support her. I think she'll do fine."

Deep in the recesses of Rachel's mind, a sun shone down on a grassy meadow. A young girl sat upon a blanket, her back against a large tree. She let the cool winds rustle her hair. 

A black cat was nestled in her lap, purring itself to sleep…

FINI

# Fanfic ã1999 – John Brengman and Artemis Publishing

Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, 

ã 1992 by Toei Animation Co Ltd. and based on Kodansha's

manga production of "Sailor Moon", written by Naoko Takeuchi

This fanfic is freely distributed. Release date: November 5, 1998

Release: 3rd Edition: January 16, 2001


	6. SX#6 - Genesis of the Cybersailors

Sailor X #6Genesis of the CyberSailors

By: John Brengman

Edited by: Thomas Schell

== * **SM *==**

In space…

The darkness of space was suddenly distrubed by a flare of light…as if a star had exploded. As the sphere of blazing luminescence expanded, a comet-like object streamed forth into the surrounding darkness. Particles of ice cascaded off the surface of the comet and vaporized…adding to the luminous display. The comet now looked like a flaming sword as it sailed through space toward a nearby solar system.

From within the still expanding sphere of light, another object appeared…this one without the coruscating fireworks that accompanied the comet. Unlike the comet, the second object was not 'natural'. Its somber gray hull was punctuated by the light from an open viewport. The ship was small…about twice the size of the comet it followed…

== * **SM *==**

Aboard Pursuit Ship #898001887-891

In the small command center of the ship a figure towered above the others, a dark shape outlined by

the dull red of the various control panels. The computers clicked and whirred to themselves…a conversation which also divulged information to their masters.

The figure moved to tap a few of the control buttons. They blinked twice in acknowledgement then

the computers started implementing their new commands. The figure lifted its metallic hand from the panel

and strode forward into the center of the room. The red light glinted off of almost every part of her body,

giving it an almost satanic aura.

"Status," a voice ordered. It sounded human…but some mechanical elements still slipped in to its

tone and resonances…

"We are approaching home," another quasi-mechanical voice replied. "We are tracking the orb."

"Very good," the first voice said. "Open standard frequency to the Terra Control Center."

A moment passed, then: "There is no response on any of the normal or emergency frequencies."

"That is not possible," the first voice insisted. "Run a full scan."

The scan took a minute to complete… "Scans show an abnormal level of magic-based energy in the area. Measuring 180 hps on the energy scale."

The first cyborg stepped over to a control panel where another metallic human-like cyborg was working.

"Is the orb responsible for this?"

The engaged cyborg looked up from its work. "It is possible. It is also possible that our scanners caught some magic-based energy when we passed through the vortex it attacked us with."

"Should we divert to headquarters?" Another voice asked.

"No," the leader replied. "Our orders are to retrieve the orb. After that, we will take it to headquarters and intern it there."

All heads turned to gaze at the leader, a female human-like figure clad almost entirely in silver metal. Her left eye was that of a normal human…her right eye was a parabolic scope. She wore no clothes…in fact, none of the cyborgs did…there was no modesty left in their metallic shells. The only part of the

leader's appearance that was not silver was the gold tiara that rested on its forehead.

"Did you not understand my directives?"

"You directives were clearly received," came the chorus of voices. "Implementing."

"Good." With that, Cybermoon turned and stalked out of the room.

== * **SM *==**

Studios of Channel 710:00 PM

Senior news director Aino Urawa took a look at the screen next to him. The commercial currently coursing through the airwaves was about the end. He gestured to the cameraman, who nodded and turned the heavy camera toward the brightly-lit set of the station's news center and the petite news anchor who sat behind the 'wooden' desk.

As the commercial ended, Urawa pressed a button, and green lights atop the cameras lit. The anchorwoman nodded slightly, then started her next story.

"Anti-UN violence has escalated as protests outside the UN Outreach Center in central Tokyo turned into an armed confrontation." The picture shifted to a garish scene of mayhem. Rubble-filled trashcans were ablaze as fires consumed their contents. Anonymous figures used the fires to light the fuses on home-made projectiles that were immediately launched air-borne. The camera followed one of these missiles as it arced through the air. It descended, tumbling to the ground, where it burst open and bloomed into a fiery blaze. The sudden inferno forced police officers with riot shields to back away from their positions.

"Throughout most of the day," the news anchor continued as the brutal scene unfolded in the background, "these protests were peaceful." The camera panned down to a white placard that was being trampled by the militants. The blue UN symbol was crossed out, and it was framed by the words: GET OUT OF TOKYO! The camera panned back to the crowds, who were now trying to rush the police.

The anchor's voice continued. "However, as the police responded to the situation, the protests became violent. Despite all of this, police spokesman, Lt. Ryunosuke reports that the majority of the protests are under control…"

== * **SM *==**

The Crystal Palace

The maintenance technician finished his work in the tunnels under the castle. This area, also called Sub-level B, was a catacomb-like maze that dated back to the original construction of the castle. The worker stepped down from a stool and started to walk away. After a couple of steps, he stopped and looked back at the overhead pipes he had been working near. He turned and started to walk toward the nearby corridor. He exited the maze and turned into the corridor…

"Boo!" A female voice yelled. The worker nearly jumped out of his skin. Turning, he saw Brandy with a huge smile on her face.

When the maintenance man didn't immediately react, Brandy flung herself against him and the two of them collided against the far wall. 

"Tell me, Richard," Brandy said as she looked up at the man's startled expression. "Tell me I'm the best practical joker you've seen!" 

"If not," Richard replied, "You're pretty close!"

Brandy gently brought Richard's mouth to hers and they kissed passionately…

In Sub-level B, all was dark and quiet. Various machines hummed to themselves as they performed their tasks dutifully. The few lights in the area barely held back the encroaching darkness.

One of the devices hid above the pipes and beeped and whirred softly to itself. It counted to itself…waiting until the proper time to perform its task…

…dutifully…

**== * SM *==**

Aboard Pursuit Ship #898001887-891(near Earth)

"We are closing on the orb," Cybermercury said as Cybermoon entered the command center. The comet-like orb flared as it continued its approach to Earth. "There are energy spikes emanating from the orb. It may be unstable."

As if on cue, the orb blossomed with light which would have blinded most creatures nearby. The machines aboard the pursuit ship simply observed this phenomena and processed it as efficiently as sentient machines could.

Their ship was not nearly so efficient. 

"Primary sensors are inoperative," Cybermercury reported. "Switching to lateral sensors."

The orb seemed to arc away from the ship as it approached Earth.

"Why are we losing speed?" Cybermoon inquired.

Cybermars attempted to get an answer from its controls. "There is a build-up of unstable energy in the engine core. Probable cause: the orb."

"Status of engines?"

"Engine output is at 62% and falling…"

"Will we be able to intercept the orb?"

"No," Cybermercury replied, "not with our rate of deceleration."

"Increase power to the engines," Cybermoon ordered.

"That is not advisable," Cybermars stated. "Increasing power to the engines will result in an

overload, which will increase our deceleration."

Cybermoon pondered this pronouncement for a few seconds, then, "Find an alternate landing site."

The orb streaked away from its pursuer and slipped into Earth's atmosphere over the Mexican state of Veracruz. As it descended, the orb took on a halo of fire from the friction…it fell toward the blue of the Pacific Ocean, then somehow leveled its descent and screamed across the ocean at an almost unimaginable speed.

Three minutes later, the orb ripped across Japan, its shock wave obliterating everything for miles around. Having cut a swath across the southern end of the islands, the orb slashed into Asia. As it traveled it actually gained speed…

The primitive buildings that proliferated throughout the interior of China were no match for this fiery "demon". Thatch hovels were ripped to shards and blown at deadly speed in the wake of the orb, and yet it continued to travel faster…

The orb left China and entered the mountainous regions of Nepal at several times the speed of sound. It slammed into a mountain, shattering it. The rubble cascaded down and buried the orb deep within meters of heavy rock…

**== * SM *==**

The Crystal Palace Observatory

Amy checked the readings of the observatory's refracting telescope again. Light from the Vega star system indicated that its star was going through some sort of disturbance and Amy found herself fascinated by all of it. She continued looking through the eyepiece as she wrote down her observations.

Suddenly a flash of white light drowned out the view of Vega. "What the…" Amy exclaimed as she quickly shrank away from the telescope. She blinked her eyes to rid them of the effects of the light.

"Artemis," she asked the castle's computer, instantly disliking whomever it was who decided that the machine should be named after one of their feline guardians. "Were any anomalies picked up within the past minute?"

"Affirmative," the computer replied, "one anomaly reported." Amy knew that answer, but used the question so the computer would focus on that one event.

"And the nature of the anomaly was?" She asked. The computer displayed its findings on a nearby screen. Amy quickly flipped a switch on the comm panel near the viewscreen.

"Vanessa, this is Amy. I am at the observatory."

Amy paused, then: "Something just happened…something big."

Within fifteen minutes, the Sailors had been informed that something from space had crashed on Earth. Neo-Queen Serenity gave her consent for the team to investigate.

**== * SM *==**

Dreamland Amusement Park11:20 PM

The alien ship landed in one of the park's wooded areas, which at this time of the night, were devoid of people. Not one to take chances, Cybermoon activated the ship's cloaking shields and it vanished into nothingness. Satisfied, Cybermoon turned to the three other cyborgs and said, "Let's find the parts we need quickly so we can resume our search for the orb!"

With that, the four started off toward the bright lights at the heart of the park.

"For my next trick," the stage magician shouted over the din of the nearby rides, "I will pull a rabbit out of my hat!" Most of the crowd that had gathered in front of the small stage in a small grassy area just off the fairway seemed enraptured by this simple announcement. A few watched anyway, hoping to uncover the secret behind what was obviously a parlor trick.

"As you can tell," the magician continued… "Nothing up my sleeve…", he pulled his coat sleeve open. Retrieving a green silk scarf from within the folds of his jacket, the magician smiled wryly. "Now," he chuckled, "How'd THAT get there?" The crowd laughed at this joke.

Using that as a distraction, the magician shifted around to the back of the table. "Okay," he said. "I will NOW pull that rabbit out of my hat!" He reached into his top hat and pulled out a young, white rabbit. The crowd went wild with applause. The magician bowed in respect to the crowd.

"Now, for my next trick," the magician said, "I will…what the…" Four tall figures stood near the rear

of the audience, the lights of the fairway reflecting off their metallic surfaces. One of them stepped forward and the crowds parted…not yet sure exactly what was standing in front of them.

"Demonstrations of magic or sorcery are forbidden by law!" Cybermoon shouted. "You are engaging in illegal activities and will submit to our authority. You will not resist."

"Excuse me," the magician said. "You're disrupting my show. Go find your own crowd!"

"Are you resisting arrest?" Cybermercury asked.

"Resisting? Resisting arrest for WHAT?" The magician started backing up as the crowds attempted to flee. Cybermars lowered a nasty-looking barrel at them. "Fleeing the scene of a crime is an illegal

activity. You are witnesses and participants in this crime. Surrender to our authority. You will not resist."

Meanwhile, Cybermoon and Cybermercury had gotten to the stage. "Resisting arrest is a criminal act

punishable by death. Preparing witness transcript for transmission preparatory to carrying out the death

sentence." There was a brief pause. The magician cowered near the curtains which framed the stage and the

two cyborgs stood still… 

"Transmission failed," Cybermoon stated. "Mercury, attempt to transmit again. I will carry out the death sentence." The cyborg raised its hand to its forehead… "MOON TIARA ACTI…"

"Hold it!"

The cyborgs turned to the source of the voice, allowing the crowd to begin to flee. 

"You have disturbed the joy and fun this place creates at a time when this city needs it! That can not

be allowed! In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

"Identify yourself," Cybermoon ordered.

Sailor Moon stepped forward with a growl. "As IF you didn't know! I am Sailor Moon, champion of the

Innocent!"

A voice from beside Sailor Moon answered, "And I am Sailor Mars, defender of freedom!"

Another voice: "Sailor Jupiter here, ready to rock and rumble!"

And finally, "Sailor Venus has arrived!"

During all of this, Cybermercury had scanned the Scouts. Looking up from its scanner, it said, "I am

detecting magical energy from them."

Aiming her right arm at the Sailors, Cybermoon snarled, "Use of magic is an illegal act punishable by

the death penalty! Witness transcript stored for later transmission! MOON ELMINATION ATTACK

ACTIVATION!" Pure white energy burst out of the cyborg's arm and surged toward the Scouts who

dove out of the way. 

Sailor Venus hit the ground roughly, rolled over and shouted, "VENUS LOVE CHAIN ENCIRCLE!"

The beam bounced from Venus, then shot toward Cybermercury, who absorbed the force of the blast.

Cybermars meanwhile turned its attention from the Sailors to the few remaining people who were trying to

get out of the area. A gout of flame erupted as it turned the barrel of a flame-thrower on the people.

"No!" Sailor Moon shouted as the flames enveloped a mother and child who failed to get away in time. The fuel from the blast splattered over the area in a rain of fire that ignited the brush where it landed. The

screams of the dying woman and her child shot right through the Scouts.

"You are DEAD!" Sailor Moon screamed as she raised her right hand in the air… "MOON STAFF!"

The staff appeared in her hand, its metallic ends glistening with a dull white glow… "Time to pay the piper," Sailor Moon growled. "MOON ZERO MAGIC!" A disk of destructive energy coalesced at the top

of the staff. When it had built up sufficient strength, Sailor Moon hurled the energy bolt at Cybermars, who was continuing its search for more "criminals".

Cybermars was swarmed by the energy that sheared metal plating from its exposed body parts. The deadly energy coursed over the cyborg, shorting out circuits, fusing internal parts. Finally the energy faded and disappeared, leaving a smoking hulk behind.

Slowly, Cybermars looked over to Sailor Moon. A laser scope sliced its beam through a shattered glass eyeball. The cyborg reached up with its hand and pulled the useless splinters from its face. The scope now glared at Sailor Moon as Cybermars growled. "I **still function!"**

Dodging a punch from Cybermercury, Sailor Mars faded back to Sailor Moon holding a metal shaft she had used to slap Cybervenus across the face. She hefted the shaft and yelled, "Not for long!"

Charging the injured cyborg, Mars let out a shrill cry that pierced the night air. She closed the distance quickly and Cybermars raised its arm to defend itself. Sailor Mars saw this and shifted her arm quickly. She slammed the tip of the metal shaft into the cyborg's chest. The tip scudded downward until it entered into the inner mechanisms through a tear in the skin. Blood and oil mingled and showered Sailor Mars as she lifted Cybermars off her feet. The shaft sliced through a power node and punched through the skin…the

Cyborg was impaled on the pole. 

A pulse of electricity poured from the injured cyborg and cascaded over Sailor Mars. She dropped to her knee under the assault, but kept the pole raised like a torch. Gradually, Mars brought the shaft down and examined Cybermars. The red scope that now served as its left eye was dim and flickering…slowly dying. Some metal skin plates hung halfway off. Its head hung listless. 

Clicking noises caused Mars to bend down to the cyborg's face, where she heard, "Terminal condition…

Initiating dest…reuct…." Then a stern beeping noise began...a countdown. Mars looked down at the cyborg's arm…to the barrel of the flame-thrower as it glimmered in the light of the still smoldering ground fires.

"Oh shit…" 

Dropping the shaft, Mars looked over to see Sailor Jupiter unleashing one of her attacks on an already-injured Cybervenus. Cybermoon was the target of an assault from the Moon Staff, and a thick fog shrouded an area just beyond the fighting…Mars guessed that the remaining cyborg and Sailor Venus were there.

Launching herself to her feet, Sailor Mars ran back toward the battle, shouting, "Back off, you guys! We've got to get out of here!"

"What the…" Sailor Moon managed to get out before Mars reached her.

"Trust me," Mars insisted. "We have to go now!"

Sailor Moon made a quick decision. "Okay!" she said, then: "Retreat, Sailors!" Jupiter looked uncertainly at Sailor Moon, but she and Sailor Mars were already beating a path to the fairway.

As Venus retreated out of the corner of her eye to the right, Jupiter stood her ground and yelled, "You haven't seen the last of us, you overgrown sardine cans!"

"Jupiter, NOW!" Sailor Moon shouted. "That's an order!" With that, Jupiter turned and started to run. She got five steps before the area behind her melted with the implosion of Cybermars' fuel components. The force of the explosion threw Jupiter several yards and the fire seared over her. She screamed as she felt the fire consuming her. Using that pain, Jupiter centered herself in order to use her teleportation.

Suddenly, a deeper level seemed to open within her mind…

From within the firestorm, a haunting voice arose, "I call upon the primal forces of the planet, JUPITER!" The fires seemed to burn brighter with this declaration. "JUPITER GRAVITON POWER!

A wave of force blasted outward from Sailor Jupiter, shredding the buildings within a hundred yards from the Scout. Trees snapped like twigs and became projectiles. The wind produced by the force wave smothered the fire.

Sailor Jupiter dropped to the ground heavily after the force wave faded away.

Slowly, the other Sailors crawled out from under whatever rubble had fallen on them and approached to survey the scene.

Just a few yards beyond Sailor Jupiter's unconscious form lay the smoldering wreck that had been Cybervenus…most of her frame had been melted into slag. Only a slight ripple on the ground had directed the heat from the blast over Jupiter…

As the Scouts were examining the scorched form of the cyborg, its comrades landed in front of what had been the magician's stage.

"You have committed several criminal acts," Cybermercury stated. "All of which are punishable by the death penalty."

"You again!" Sailor Moon growled.

"Witness transcript saved for later transmission," Cybermercury continued. "You will surrender to our authority. You will not resist."

Assessing the situation, Cybermoon murmured, "We must retreat. We are outnumbered and outgunned."

Cybermercury didn't seem to hear its commander, and continued to approach the Scouts. It got to be too much for Sailor Venus, who muttered, "damn talking toasters…." then, "VENUS CRESCENT BEAM SMASH!" The beam sliced out and ricocheted off Cybermercury's head. The cyborg was undeterred…

"You have committed the crime of assaulting a legal officer of the Luna Foundation… That is a crime

punishable by death…"

Before it could finish this pronouncement, Cybermoon had loaded an armor-piercing round into the pistol mounted on its left arm. Raising its arm, Cybermoon murmured, "Unit Mercury has malfunctioned and is not responding to orders." With a twitch of its arm muscles, Cybermoon fired its arm pistol, and the AP round slammed into the back of Cybermercury's skull…

The fatally wounded cyborg took a step forward. "You… will..surren..der…" A thin line of blood dribbled out of the side of its mouth as it stood motionless, as if waiting for some sort of response…then it tried to take another step and fell forward. By the time Cybermercury hit the ground, Cybermoon had disappeared.

The Scouts gathered around the prone body of the cyborg and flipped it over onto its back. A light drizzle began to pour and the moisture on the ground matted the machine's hair to its head…its deep-blue eyes stared lifelessly into the air…

Finally, Sailor Moon turned to the others. "Take it, and the other one," she said pointing to Cybervenus.

"Let's get back to the castle."

**== * SM *==**

Crystal Palace- Near Sub-level B

The two feline guardians routinely patrolled the hallways near the shuttle landing pads looking for rodents and other undesirables that may have sneaked into the palace by slipping unseen on one of the many shuttles that made the Earth – Moon trip. They were on their way back to the more populated

areas ofthe castle when Luna stopped, one forepaw in the air in mid-step.

"What is it?" Artemis asked.

"I hear something."

Artemis perked his ears, searching the background noises for anything unusual. "I don't hear anything," he replied.

"You're not down here enough," Luna scolded. "I know I hear something."

Artemis tried listening again, then shook his head. "You're hearing things," he said sternly. "Besides, I overheard some maintenance people complaining about having to do work in this area."

"Yes," Luna said, sill not quite convinced. "Perhaps its just some new machines or something."

"That has to be it," Artemis agreed. "Come on, let's get going."

With that, the two felines slipped down the corridors running through Sub-level B, passing under a large

cluster of pipes that ran along the ceiling…

…the hidden device continued its near-silent duty… 4:53…4:52…

** **

** **

** **

** **

** **

**== * SM *==**

Shuttle 4 – Nearing the Moon

Brandy checked the shuttle's approach vector as Sandra attended to Mariah's burns. The leader of the Sailors stopped briefly to lecture. "This would not have happened, had you obeyed my orders," she said with a stern look that barely masked a smile.

"I would insult the fine tradition of heroes everywhere if I left a bad-guy without some witty retort," Mariah protested. 

"ETA to the palace is six minutes," Brandy said as she entered the compartment from the shuttle's cockpit. She pulled her blonde mane over her left shoulder and her blue eyes flickered with concern as she asked, "Do you know what happened to you out there?"

"No," Jupiter said, an equal amount of worry creeping into her voice.

"Well," Sandra said. "Both Mercury and Mars have demonstrated an apparently Eternal form with new powers. I can only assume we all have them."

"Yes," Cassandra replied. " Raye told me that the Eternal form can only manifest itself during a time of great stress, and that its power can be very hard to control at first…"

"It sounds like we have a lot of questions…." Brandy murmured.

"Yes," Sandra echoed, looking at the prone forms of the two 'dead' cyborgs… "A lot of questions." She turned to Brandy. "Call ahead and have the castle ready some security measures for our 'guests'.

Nodding, Brandy stepped over to a comm box on the wall. After punching a few buttons, she opened the channel. "Luna Control," she said. "This is Shuttle Four, en-route from Tokyo."

"Welcome home, Sailors," came the reply.

Looking out the pilot's window, Brandy could tell that the shuttle was approaching the mountain range that lay a few miles south of the castle…within a minute, the shuttle would clear the top of those mountains, and the castle would be visible.

Brandy continued. "We are bringing in a couple of…lifeforms…that we encountered on Earth. We'll need a security team to take custody of them when we land."

"Acknowledged," the voice said. "Is there anyth…" The question was drowned out by a roar, then static.

A minute pause quickly passed as Brandy tried to raise the castle on the comm system. Sandra arose and went to stand by Brandy. Looking out the window, she saw that the mountains still obscured the view of the castle.

"Castle Control…" Brandy stared at the comm panel as if it had betrayed her. "The transmitter is not working?"

Cass suddenly looked up from her seat, her eyes filled with dread. "No," she said disconnectedly, "That roar…it was an explosion!"

That grim pronouncement was confirmed a few seconds later when the mountains fell away, and the vista across Crystal Lake was revealed.

A torrent of fire bloomed on the east end of the castle. Mount Serenity seemed to be clothed in a hellish halo and the flames had spread to the castle's extension southeast of the mountain. The yellow and orange conflagration pulsed around the end of the castle it dominated, but the explosion had caused structural damage that radiated outward like a spider's web… The communications tower which had been located north of the castle's central dome, fell southward and toppled over in a heap, shaking the already-tortured foundations of the royal structure….

The shuttle, having been given no further orders continued on its course over the lake. The girls could now make out various rooms of the castle…all in flames…the theatre, the kitchens, the servants' quarters, the throne room…suddenly that realization hit the girls…

"My god…" Brandy said as tears filled her eyes….

"Mother…" Sandra murmured numbly…

FINI

# Fanfic ã1999 – John Brengman and Artemis Publishing

Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, 

ã 1992 by Toei Animation Co Ltd. and based on Kodansha's

manga production of "Sailor Moon", written by Naoko Takeuchi

This fanfic is freely distributed. Release date: December 14 , 1998

Release: 3rd Edition: January 16, 2001


	7. SX#7 - Fireline

Sailor X #7Fireline

By: John Brengman

Edited by: Thomas Schell

*****PROLOGUE*** **

Shuttle 4- On Approach to 

the Crystal Palace

"Luna Control," Brandy said. "This is Shuttle Four, en-route from Tokyo."

"Welcome home, Sailors," came the reply.

Looking out the pilot's window, Brandy could tell that the shuttle was approaching the mountain range that lay a few miles south of the castle…within about a minute, the shuttle would clear the top of those mountains, and the castle would be visible.

Brandy continued. "We are bringing in a couple of…lifeforms…that we encountered on Earth. We'll need a security team to take custody of them when we land."

"Acknowledged," the voice said. "Is there anyth…" The question was drowned out by a roar, then static.

A minute pause quickly passed as Brandy tried to raise the castle on the comm system. Sandra arose and went to stand by Brandy. Looking out the window, she saw that the mountains still obscured the view of the castle.

"Castle Control…" Brandy stared at the comm panel as if it had betrayed her. "The transmitter is not working?"

Cass suddenly looked up from her seat, her eyes filled with dread. "No," she said disconnectedly, "That roar…it was an explosion!"

That grim pronouncement was confirmed a few seconds later when the mountains fell away, and the vista across Crystal Lake was revealed.

A torrent of fire bloomed on the east end of the castle. Mount Serenity seemed to be clothed in a hellish halo and the flames had spread to the castle's extension southeast of the mountain. The yellow and orange conflagration pulsed around the end of the castle it dominated, but the explosion had caused structural damage that radiated outward like a spider's web… The communications tower which had been located north of the castle's central dome, fell southward and toppled over in a heap, shaking the already-tortured foundations of the royal structure….

The shuttle, having been given no further orders continued on its course over the lake. The girls could now make out various rooms of the castle…all in flames…the theatre, the kitchens, the servants' quarters, the throne room…suddenly that realization hit the girls…

"My god…" Brandy said as tears filled her eyes….

"Mother…" Sandra murmured numbly…

**== * SM *==**

United Nations HQ – New York

A rather stern-faced man strode from the elevator on the seventeenth floor. The metal doors closed silently behind him as he approached a nearby oak desk and the secretary seated behind it.

"I am here," the man announced.

"Yes, sir," the secretary replied. "I'll tell the general that you're here." With that, she pressed a button on

her desk, informing her boss of his visitor.

"You may go in," the secretary said. The visitor nodded and headed to a large door.

"General," the man said as he closed the door behind him and walked toward a large desk near the other side of the room. A man stood in front of a nearby window and gazed out at the view of the New York skyline. The visitor shot a glance at a bank of screens along the wall to his left. They showed scenes of chaos…the rioting in Tokyo and other cities against the UN. The sound was muted, but the visitor could almost hear the shouts of the rioters. On one screen, a gas bomb flew through the air and crashed near a car, which soon exploded into flame. The crash of the glass and the blossoming crackle of the fire were almost audible.

The man at the window turned and saw the visitor's gaze. 

"Since the food riots after the Tokyo Disaster," the general said, "I have not seen such lawlessness."

The visitor sighed. "Yes," he said, "and it's directed at us."

"And that is why I asked you here, commander," the general replied. "As the air marshall for all of the United Nations' air wings, you know which air captain is most able to handle this."

By this time, the general had arrived at his visitor's side. Together, they watched the screens as the violence continued.

"Marshall Irwin," the general stated. "The rule of law depends on the successful completion of this mission."

"And what is that mission, General?"

The general paused, as if what he was about to say would be a pronouncemnt of doom. 

"The terrorist acts seem concentrated in the cities of Tokyo, Chicago, Buenos Aires, Berlin, and 

St. Petersburg. Pick one of those cities, and use as much force against it as is necessary to eradicate the terrorists. We will broadcast a warning to the others."

"Is such a thing wise, sir?"

"These thugs are threatening innocent people, and the local authorities are overwhelmed. We have no recourse, which is why I am asking you to pick the person who will command this mission. I need a person

who can do this with no vengeance, no compassion, and no remorse."

"I know the person," Air Marshall Irwin replied.

**== * SM *==**

Havel Air Force Base

Prague, Czech Republic

Tenoh Haruka entered the stark room that served as her office while she was with her air wing if it was not assigned to their normal air stations on the moon. Flipping on the light, she quickly surveyed the room.

Seeing an unopened envelope laying on her desk, she draped her overcoat over her shoulder and reached over to retrieve the it.

Once she had opened the envelope, Haruka read the note inside…"From Air Marshall Irwin…"

When she finished the letter, Haruka tossed it on her desk and left the office with a muttered, "damn…"

It was while she was readying for General Irwin's mission that Haruka received word of the explosion at the palace. Her cobalt-blue eyes narrowed, and she stuffed the message in her pocket and silently continued to ready her plane for the upcoming mission.

After checking to see that her fuel tanks and ordinance racks were in order, Haruka climbed into the cockpit, started the engines and taxied onto the runway.

The speaker in Haruka's flight helmet squawked to life as her plane lifted off from the runway. "Haruka," it said, "Where is the rest of your flight wing?"

Haruka pulled the flight stick back and the plane entered a climb. "With the nature of this mission, I decided that I should do this by myself. I don't want them involved.."

"But…"

"Sorry sir," Haruka continued. "If there's going to be a consequence from this, I will take it."

There was a short pause, then, "I can't talk you out of this?"

Haruka smiled wryly. "You know me better than that. However, since I am doing this by myself, I'm overloaded on fuel and ordinance." Looking at her control panel, Haruka saw an amber warning light flashing, informing her of her overloaded mass. "I'm going to need someone to get me when I ditch this plane."

"Will do," the voice replied. "Havel out."

Haruka nodded to herself and pulled the stick back further. The airplane climbed steeper. She pushed the throttle wide open and the plane accelerated. Haruka glanced around her as the cockpit started shuddering with the stress. "Yep." She thought. "I'm definitely going to need help getting out of this one…"

**== * SM *==**

Shuttle 4

The four young warriors surveyed the damage as the shuttle silently approached the palace from the north shore of the lake. The inferno blazed just northeast of the center of the palace.

Sandra made a quick decision. "Mariah, set the autopilot to land at the Luna Foundation. The shuttle pads at the palace are gone."

Before Mariah could obey, Cassandra interrupted. "No, I'll do it." The others looked at her curiously. "I don't think now would be a good time to fight fire with fire, no matter what the saying says," Cass replied. "This shuttle has a universal mating collar, so I'll take it to the Foundation, and I'll have them put a coolant tank on it."

"Sounds like a plan," Mariah said with a wink.

"Agreed," Sandra nodded. "We'll need the services of Sailor Jupiter."

With a quick nod, Mariah produced her transformation pen. The others did the same. Cassandra watched as her friends transformed into their Sailor persona. They joined hands as Jupiter shouted "JUPITER TELEPORTATION MAGIC!" The three Sailors faded from sight, then vanished.

With a nod of satisfaction, Cass settled into the pilot's chair and banked the shuttle gently toward the east…

**== * SM *==**

The Crystal Palace Observatory

"Computer," Artemis said pointedly and with a touch of disdain. "Is the data transfer to the backup computer complete?"

"Affirmative."

"Good," Artemis replied. "Switch over to the backup computer."

"I hate to think what the backup computer is named," Luna said woefully.

"Guess!" Diana exclaimed gleefully. Her parents groaned.

A few seconds later… "Backup system LUNA online."

Both parents looked at their daughter. "You couldn't have named these systems anything else?"

"I couldn't think of anything," Diana replied defensively.

Artemis sighed and returned to the business at hand. "Computer, display sensor logs of Section B." A computerized image of the castle appeared on the screen…a rather large dark circle was blotted out because the sensors were no longer operating.

"Reverse sequence," Luna ordered. The screen gradually lit. Artemis wailted until the entire castle was once-again covered by the sensor net..

"Computer," Luna said. "Calculate the origin of the explosion using the blast pattern." The computer screen lit up with glitter as all of the sensor recordings of the explosion were calculated and reversed back to their source. Finally, the scrren was clear again, with only the castle floorplans displayed. A single red dot blinked out at the three guardian cats.

"Where is the origin?" Artemis asked. The computer zoomed in on the red dot…then printed it's location.

SECTION B – LEVEL FIVE, SUBSECTION B - 25

Glancing at the time index of the sensor readings, Artemis continued. "Activate all ID tags and forward sequence." The scans progressed. Green lights flitted through the area as people went about their business. As one light flickered, Artemis shouted, "Pause!"

Lunna turned to Artemis. "What?"

"I saw something."

"At that speed?" Luna asked with a astonished look on her face.

"What can I say?" Artemis replied. Then, "Computer, reverse 15 cycles, then forward at slow speed." The computer obeyed its commands, and a green dot floated onto the screen, stopped for a very noticeable length of time, then continued along its way. Artemis again reversed the scan and when the dot again paused, he ordered the computer to identify that specific ID tag.

The response came: "Richard Denny," the computer said without emotion, but the room seemed to grow colder…here was the person responsible for the fire which still threatened their lives. This was the person who had tried to kill them all. There was only one questionleft to answer. 

"Computer," Luna said. "Is this ID tag still active?"

"Affirmative." The computer replied. "Current location, Section B – Level 17, Subsection B – 41.

"That's near the main fusion reactor," Artemis murmured. The three cats looked at the screen. The fire could be seen in that general area, creeping slowly to the west. 

"Inform the Sailors," Luna ordered.

"We have another problem," Artemis said. 

"What is that?" Luna asked.

"Computer, side view of the castle with current settings." The floor plan of the castle slowly flipped to its side. Three large circular shapes seemed to move within the floors and halls of the castle until they emerged as the side view rotated into position. When the computer was finished, three appendages seemed to grapple the castle into the surface of the moon.

"Those are the three fusion reactors that power the castle," Artemis explained. "If the fire gets too close to one ofthem, it will super-heat, and explode."

"The explosion will chain-react, and the others will explode as well," Luna said.

"We won't have to worry about the other two reactors," Diana replied. "The first explosion will obliterate us quite nicely."

**== * SM *==**

** **

East Wing of the Crystal Palace

Section B – Level 2, Subsection B – 5

"Come on people," Sailor Venus shouted as she and Sailor Jupiter herded some of the palace workers down the hallway which spanned the wing. "Do you think the monorail is still working?"

"No," Jupiter shouted back over the rush of people, "but there should be an emergency car that we can use." She stopped to help a person who had tripped, but the panic-stricken woman seemed to have other ideas. Holding onto Sailor Jupiter, the woman hoisted herself to her feet and started off down the hall. The exertion that the woman had put into getting to her feet had thrown Jupiter off balance, and she fell against the wall.

"Hey!" Jupiter yelped, drawing her arm away from the wall. "That's….hot…" She started to back up quickly down the hall. "Venus!", she shouted over her shoulder, "this area's going to blow! Get those people out of here!"

With that, the wall exploded. Jupiter tried to flee, but for the second time in a day, she was enveloped by fire. This time, she was ready.

"We ought to get hazard pay for this!" Jupiter thought as she centered her thoughts upon drawing energy from within herself. At the same time, she continued to back up. The sensation that cascaded over her skin was not ignored, but instead of generating waves of distracting pain, the increased activity of her nervous system added to the energy being channeled by the young woman.

When the energy coursing through her reached its peak, Jupiter opened her eyes and shouted "JUPITER GRAVITON POWER!" A force wave blasted from Jupiter. She had aimed it at the outer wall of the hallway, and a long stretch of the ornate wall crumbled and fell, smothering the flames. Jupiter continued to back up, her force wave wreaking its own chaos until she was outside the fire's radius. 

Sailor Venus was waiting for her near the monorail terminal when she finished.

"You should think about a job in demolitions," Venus remarked. "All passengers are aboard and safe."

Sailor Jupiter just nodded, then collapsed into Sailor Venus' arms, thoroughly drained from the exertion her most formidible power had taken.

Sailor Vnus had just laid Sailor Jupiter down on one of the seats aboard the monorail when her wrist-comm beeped at her. She flipped it open. "Sailor Venus here."

"Sailor Venus," came Artemis' voice. "We've found the person responsible for the explosion. "

**== * SM *==**

Access Hallway near Fusion Reactor Three

Section B – Level 17, Subsection B – 41

"Code Amber," the computer's voice said over the din of people who were either attending to their duties or getting out of the area. "Evacuation Alert, Sections A, C, D, and E. Please proceed to Monorail Terminal B, at Section B – Level 2, Subsection B – 5…." The computer continued to direct people to the evacuation points as Richard Denny walked down the hallway with a clipboard under one arm and an engineering kit slung over his shoulder. He watched with apparent disinterest as a couple of technicians rushed past him.

After making sure the hallway was clear of people, Denny opened his engineering kit and pulled out a small rectangular block. He attached the block to the wall, slightly behind the pipes which seemed to tile it. Once he was sure the device was safely attached, he pressed a small button on its side and walked away.

When another engineer approached, Denny made a show of reading his clipboard.

"Richard," the engineer said. "We've gotten orders to either evacuate or join the people on the fireline in subsection B – 36. The fire can't be allowed to break through."

Denny nodded his agreement and followed the engineer.

Within the seclusion of the pipes, the device beeped softly to itself. With all of the noise from the nearby reacto, no one would notice it. With each beep, it counted off another second… 9:56…9:55…9:54…

**== * SM *==**

Medical Center – The Luna Foundation

Section E – Level 2, Subsection B – 5

Amy busied herself with directing the actions of the nurses as they attended to the wounds of the injured, or readied the bedridden for the short journey to the Foundation's shuttle pads. From there, the shuttles would take them to Earth…out of the reach of whatever calamity should befall the palace.

When she entered the secluded ward reserved for members of the royal family, she saw Neo-Queen Serenity resting peacefully. She had been found half buried under a wall in the throne room and had suffered extensive injuries…but nothing that could not be repaired to some extent with time. Amy would ensure that the queen escaped the palace alive, and it was a duty she would see to personally.

Just as she was readying herself to wake the queen, Amy heard a loud clatter and some swearing coming from within the next curtain-shrouded chamber. She hurried into that chamber and found Rachel struggkling to get up from her bed.

"You should not be up," Amy said sternly.

Rachel fixated on her mentor with a glare. "What's going on?" She asked.

"We're getting the other patients ready to leave," Amy replied. "Pretty soon we'll be ready to move you…"

"The WHOLE story," Rachel insisted. "What is going on?"

With a sigh of resignation, Amy went over to a wall monitor which was busy displaying Rachel's vital signs. With a touch of a switch, a layout of the castle appeared. The areas covered in the fire showed up in a bright red. Amy explained what had happened over the past few hours.

When she was finished, Amy thought that perhaps Rachel would settle back into bed. The young woman had other plans however, and attempted to stand up.

"You are too weak," Amy insisted. "You have to stay in bed."

"If I don't try to help, whether or not I stay in bed won't really matter," Rachel shot back. "Now, give me a stimulant."

As Amy administered the stimulant, Rachel asked, "Is there a shuttle that can take me to the palace?"

Looking over at the display, Amy nodded. "It looks like Sailor Mars is nearly finished reloading her shuttle with fire retardant. The others are being used to evacuate the palace."

"Good!" Rachel exclaimed as she hopped off the bed. "If I hurry, I can catch Mars before she leaves." Before Amy could say anything else, Rachel had left.

**== * SM *==**

Shuttle 4

As she angled the shuttle toward the castle in a low gradual turn around the mountain that dominated the view to the northwest of the Luna Foundation, Cassandra could not help but be concerned for the well-being of her friend. Rachel stood near the shuttle's side hatch. She gazed down at the floor of the shuttle,

and she held her right arm against her body with her left as if it were injured. 

"Are you okay?" Cass asked. "I can turn around if you.."

"No," Rachel replied with a lot more clarity than Cass expected. "I need to do this. It's our only chance."

Cass watched as her friend transformed from a young woman into her Sailor persona. The change didn't do much to persuade Cass that she was fit to be out of bed.

Rachel looked exhausted, but Cass knew better than to argue with her once she had made up her mind. She looked out the front windows as the palace crept out from behind the mountain. A huge blackened scorch mark covered the northeast quarter of what had been palace facilities. Cass's shuttle flights had made a dent in the fire, but the main portion of the blaze was still threatening the central core of the palace…which was where this next batch of fire retardant was going

As the shuttle crossed from the mountain to the flat plain near the palace, Sailor Mercury opened the hatch. "Go in low," she said. "I'll jump in a few seconds." Cass eased the flight stick forward slightly and reduced speed to allow her friend the best chance of a solid landing. While the moon's garvity was weak, there was no need to take too many chances.

Sailor Mercury picked out a spot that the fire had finished scorching and lept from the shuttle. Cass shut the hatch by remote and continued on her way

**== * SM *==**

Sailor Mercury landed gently on the blasted terrain of what had been a part of Section B. She glanced toward the dome that was the centerpiece of the palace. The fire still blazed in that direction, lighting the palace with a hellish glow. As she watched, a portion of the dome collapsed.

**== * SM *==**

Shuttle 4

Cass edged her shuttle into position over a large, angry-looking section of the fire. Switching the engines into hover mode, she toggled the release switch on the control board which would vent the fire retardant. Immediately, she was met with a red warning light and, "Collar Valve Malfunction"

Cass lept from the cockpit and wrenched the hatch open. She then turned to her left, where the tanks carrying the fire retardant were connected to the shuttle's universal collar. Opening a storage locker, she dragged out a large hose and hooked it to the valve. Grinning at her ingenuity, she reached up and pulled the manual override lever.

The lever moved halfway forward, then stuck. Cass realized that the tank itself was frozen. Unfortunately, much of the equipment, including the shuttle's collar did not react well to fire, so using her Mars abilities was out of the question. Cass returned to the cockpit, shut the hatch with the remote, and radioed back to the Luna Foundation.

"Luna Conrol," she said. "The tanker value is frozen. I'm returning for another one."

"There's no time," came the reply. "The palace is on full evacuation status. Get out of the area."

Looking down at where Sailor Mercury had jumped from the shuttle, Cass saw that it was too late to retrieve her friend.

"God help us," she said as she took the shuttle into a climb away from the palace.

** **

** **

** **

** **

** **

**== * SM *==**

Deep within the recesses of her mind, Sailor Mercury summoned the energy needed to save her friends. Finding the energy was not a problem. The excitement from being in such a dangerous situation nearly provided her with the energy she needed. Channeling the energy was a different story. 

Sailor Mercury attempted to channel the energy flooding her body. Despite her efforts, the verbal component of her power's activation sequence seemed to flee from her. 

Suddenly, Sailor Mercury felt a bone-chilling cold, and within a "room" of her mind, a ghostly image of Queen Beryl appeared near a mental image of herself. The mental reflection of Sailor Mercury floated slightly off the "ground". Her hands were clasped in front of her, and her eyes were closed as if in prayer. Queen Beryl approached the mental eflection which seemed to radiate a pale blue glow as she neared.

"You thought you could use your power without me," Beryl snarled.

The mental reflection of Sailor Mercury offered no response except the continued blue glow…

"You may have the energy to fuel your power," Beryl said. "But only I can provide you the means to

channel it! Never forget that!"

Again, no response was forthcoming from the mental reflection. It merely hung in the air silently as if waiting for something…

Beryl was about to say something about Mercury being a slave to her power, but decided not to…stupid mental image would probably just hang there…mocking her…

Instead, Beryl sighed quietly, and closing her eyes, she apprached the mental reflection ofSailor Mercury, which grew brighter as she approached. Soon Beryl was stnding directly in front of the image….then she and the image were one…

The "room darkened to near total darkness, then blasted blinding light forth. From within the light came Beryl's voice: "Arise, ETERNAL SAILOR MERCURY!"

In her trance-like state, Mercury suddenly found the melody that had eluded her and her voice sang out the eerie melody. Already, tendrils of darkforce energy mingled with primal force were slamming the ground around her in an eager search for any energy source that could be found. The melody wavered, then hit the high note, which Mercury held. As that note continued across the blasted lunar landscape, the energy ribbons reversed themselves, cascading into Sailor Mercury. When the last of them collided with the young warrior a blinding blast of pale light flared out, then the blue translucent dome formed and slowly started its expansion outward…draining all energy from everything it touched…

**== * SM *==**

The Crystal Palace Observatory

Section A – Level 2, Subsection E – 2

"Look at that!" Luna shouted as she saw the birth of Mercury's dome. 

"Get a reading on that, quick!" Artemis shouted in reply.

"Wha..?" Luna half-said in astonishment.

"Look," Artemis said. "If we survive this, that is going to be something we're going to want to know about."

"Okay," Luna replied as she activated the observatory's sensor array.

**== * SM *==**

The dome of the Crystal Palace

Section B – Level 2, Subsection A – 2

The guardian cats were not the only ones observing Mercury's dome with interest. 

Richard Denny had deserted his post on the fire lines and had ripped off his wrist comm when the rantings of his superiors had become too much of an annoyance. He had come to this room about midway up what remained of the palace dome to watch the final destruction of the place that was creating the problems so many people on Earth were having. Soon the Luna Foundation would be gone. The palace would be obliterated, and with it, the secret backers of a United Nations who ruled Earth without a thought given to the needs of the people.

Would there be consequences? Certainly! And in this case, the good from the actions of today would far outweigh the minor fallout from the death of the Luna Foundation and the demise of the Sailors.

As Mercury's dome expanded, Denny watched. The dome expanded over some of the fires nearest to the original blast point, and Denny could see that once the dome covered the fires, they were smothered. Momentarily, he thought about shooting at Sailor Mercury with the pistol he had stolen from a weapons locker.

"No," he though as he dropped the gun. No matter what they did, nothing would save them once the reactor detonated. The fire they were fighting was nothing compared to that.

"Richard," came a voice from behind him. Denny turned and saw Sailor Venus. Her eyes were filled with anger and hurt. "How could you do it?"

Denny's face twisted in confusion. "How could I do what?

"The bomb," Venus replied. "We know you set the bomb."

Now Denny smiled and he took a step toward Sailor Venus. "I don't know what you are talking about," he said warmly. "You know me better than that."

Outside the broken walls, the pale blue dome continued to grow…

Venus continued. "The sensor logs," she said coldly. "They show you were in the area, and they showed that you stopped in the exact spot that the blast came from!"

"I wasn't there!"  
"All the other tags are accounted for!" Venus shouted. "Do you want to try another story?"

"I had to check something!" Denny took another step forward and balled up his fist behind his back…

"I don't believe you!"

Denny then punched Sailor Venus full force in the face. The blow slammed her head to one side and sent her into the wall near the door to the stairwell that wound its way up the dome. Denny sauntered forward and stared down at Sailor Venus who lay motionless against the wall.

"Stupid girl," he said under his breath.

Then, Sailor Venus kicked Denny between his legs, and he stumbled back in a daze of pain.

Sailor Venus got to her feet and through disheveled hair glared at her former lover. "You should know it takes more than one hit to bring me down!"

Denny had stumbled nearly to the edge of the room. The pale blue of Mercury's dome now dominated the view and illuminated the room with its glow.

An enraged Denny recovered from his pain and with a roar of anger charged toward Sailor Venus.

"VENUS WHIP!"

A whip handle appeared in Sailor Venus' right hand and she slung her hand out at the charging man. As she did so, an orange energy ribbon shot out and arced toward Denny. The ribbon found its mark and was soon wound tightl;y around the man's throat.

"I will see to it that you pay for every death you have caused here today!" Venus growled as Denny reversed his course and tried to break free of the whip…getting steadily closer again to the edge as he did so.

"You'll…burn…in …Hell…first!" Denny managed to gasp as the whip constricted around his throat. His eyes fluttered as he neared unconsciousness, and his hand drooped toward the ground. Seeing this, Venusdeactivated her whip. 

Denny collapsed to the floor, which shuddered under the weight. As Denny tried to get to his feet, the floor gave way, and the saboteur was dropped down toward the still-expanding dome. Sailor Venus stepped as close as she dared to the edge and watched as Denny fell screaming to his doom. The instant he hit the dome, his lifeforce was sucked out of him and his scream was silenced. His body continued its descent to the ground, but the dome leeched every miniscule ounce of energy from it, pulping flesh and bone into a powder which showered the lunar surface…

Sailor Venus left the room and was met by Sailor Moon in the hallway. "There you are!" Sailor Moon shouted. "We've got to hurry if we're going to get out of here! Sailor Jupiter is waiting for us!"

"No," Venus replied. "Mercury's nearly got the fires out, but the only thing that will stop her power is the Star Chamber."

"But my mother is the only one who can use the Star Chamber," Sailor Moon said as she turned and started down the stairs. "We'll just have to get away and get outside the range of that thing."

"And the range of that "thing" is?" Venus inquired. Sailor Moon stopped to ponder that question.

"Right!" Venus said. "You don't know either. The only sure way to stop that dome is the Star Chamber."

"We still have one problem," Sailor Moon said as they started down the stairs again.

"What's that?"

"The crystals in the Star Chamber are precisely positioned so that they form a perfect circle." Sailor Moon said. "With all the beating that this palace has taken, I doubt that the crystals are in their correct positions."

The women reached the ground floor in time to feel the palace shudder as the dome started to envelop the palace structure. "Either the Chamber kills us, or that thing does." Venus said. "Eaither way, we're dead."

"You're right," Sailor Moon replied. "Let's go."

**== * SM *==**

Access Hallway near Fusion Reactor Three

Section B – Level 17, Subsection B – 41

Within the seclusion of the pipes, the device beeped softly to itself. With each beep, it counted off another second… 0:11…0:10…0:09…

**== * SM *==**

The Throne Room

Both Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus threw open the doors to what remained of the throne room.

"Come on," Sailor Moon said. "We've got to hurry!"

**== * SM *==**

…0:04…0:03…0:02…0:01…

A new explosion gouted from the depths of the core of the castle's north wing just as Mercury's dome grew over it. The dome hungrily drank in this new energy, and extinguished its source. The pipes the bomb had been above however, were still ruptured…

**== * SM *==**

Fusion Reactor One

Section B – Level 19, Subsection B – 30

The engineering staff having long-since been evacuated, no one was there when the coolant pressure indicator on the fusion reactor went dark.

A minute later, Fusion Reactor One ignted with a flash that lit up the lunar sky.

Fade to black.

**== * SM *==**

The Throne Room

Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus awoke from the momentary state of unconsciousness that had overcome them when the force of the blast drove them into the far wall of the throne room.

"What the hell…" Sailor Moon said groggily.

Sailor Venus stood up and paused for a second. A loud and angry roar filled the background and she noted a pale blue hue flickering near the throne room door.

"We don't have time for questions," Venus said grimly as she shoved Sailor Moon toward the door leading to tbe Star Chamber. "It's time to save our bacon!"

The two warriors entered the Star Chamber. As Sailor Venus closed the door behind her, Sailor Moon surveyed the circle of crystals. They still were arranged in a circle, but large cracks in the floor of the room told her that the circle had indeed been broken. 

"This is going to be dangerous," Sailor Moon said.

"Yeah," Sailor Venus replied. "Just about as dangerous as that thing outside. Just do it!"

With a slight nod, Sailor Moon closed her eyes. Then: "May the use of this power preserve the lifes of those who seek to protect the Moon Kingdom and its citizens!" Sailor Moon paused briefly, then…

"PLANET POWER!"

The room exploded in an angry light as the crystals poured their energy unfocused upon Sailor Moon, who screamed as the waves of searing energy tore into her.

"Sailor Moon!" Venus shouted from near the door. "Focus the energy!" 

"What?" Sailor Moon cried.

"Focus!" Venus repeated.

"I'll try!" Sailor Moon manged to yell as another wave of energy cascaded over her. She gathered herself as best she could, then, "MOON STAFF!"

The back of the room faded into a pale blue glow. Sailor Venus saw this, and turned her head to Sailor Moon. "It's now or never!"

Ignoring her friend, Sailor Moon raised her right fist in the air. As the energy from the crystals slammed into the young woman, she swung her fist in a full circle in the air. Her staff, hovering at her waist, dropped onto its side, and mimicked her actions…and made a full revolution around Sailor Moon, shattering the crystal holders as it did so. The crystals, freed of the holders, floated up and formed a perfect circle around Sailor Moon.

"MOON REJUVINATION MAGIC!"

Venus remembered in time to shield her eyes as the brilliant beam of light flashed out from Sailor Moon and the crystals and slammed into the pale blue dome of life-draining energy. Waves of conflicting energy flowed over the dome, absorbing it. Then both the beam and the dome disappeared.

Outside the castle, Sailor Mercury collapsed as the dome disappeared.

**== * SM *==**

Shuttle 4

"Wow," Artemis said softly. "Look at all of the damage."

The guardian cats, along with Sailors Moon, Mars, and Venus were surveying the blast damage. The majority of the cental palace, and the north and east wings were heavily damaged at the least. The west wing and the observatory were undamaged, as was the Luna Foundation facilities. Despite all of that, it looked a lot worse than it actually was.

"We'll rebuild," Luna said. "The castle has been in worse shape." She trailed off as if to wonder exactly when that was…but she knew that the Negaverse had virtually destroyed the entire palace during the attack which ended the Silver Kingdom.

"Yeah," Sailor Mars said. "We'll rebuild, and it will be even better!" This sparked a round of nods and murmured agreement.

"Well," Sailor Moon sad. "After all that, I am hungry! Sailor Mars, take us home. That's an order! 

The shuttle banked away from the battered castle and headed back toward the Luna Foundation…and home.

**== * SM *==**

St. Petersburg, Russia1:04 AM

A solitary metal bird flew over the slumbering city. From a high altitude, which had been achieved at the expense of valuable systems, the pilot flipped the toggle switch which released the plane's ordinance in seven-second intervals. 

The bombs rained down upon the unsuspecting city. When they hit, a white-rimmed force wave lit up the area. The force waves radiated outward from their origins, shattering everything withing several hundred yards of their impact points.

When the lone bird turned and flew out to sea, there was not much left of the once-thriving seaport that had been Saint Petersburg.

FINI

# Fanfic ã1999 – John Brengman and Artemis Publishing

Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, 

ã 1992 by Toei Animation Co Ltd. and based on Kodansha's

manga production of "Sailor Moon", written by Naoko Takeuchi

This fanfic is freely distributed. Release date: January 11, 1999

Release: 3rd Edition: January 16, 2001


	8. SX#8 - Order or Chaos

Sailor X #8Order or Chaos

By: John Brengman

Edited by: Thomas Schell

"_Order versus Chaos …choose one."_

-Marcus (Shadow)

Babylon 5

Baltic Sea Near Latvia3:24 AM

A UN helicopter skimmed over the surface of the ocean, its rotors whipping the sea into a seething froth as it passed. The three people aboard the chopper had to restrain their excitement. After weeks of training and exercises, they were on a true mission. The mission might be a simple rescue or recovery of a downed pilot, but it was a mission nonetheless.

Composite radar screens were activated, showing the land mass of Europe to the south and east, blips of ships as they went about their business in the transit lanes, along with their own location. The radar pinged loudly as the small scanning dish atop the chopper made a revolution.

A new object entered the extreme range of the radar, and it was tagged with an ID number and a location.

"Sir," the co-pilot said. "New transient object, ID number 436, bearing zero-one-six, angle down thirty-five."

"Any movement from the transient?" The pilot asked.

"No," the co-pilot replied. "Range, seven miles and closing….picking up tight-beam UN distress signal…"

A third man was sitting in the back compartment of the chopper. At a signal from the pilot, this man would open the chopper's side door and drop a grab line to the downed person. He busied himself by readying the gear now.

As the distance closed, the co-pilot counted down their ETA, until finally, "We're coming up on the signal now. It's about thirty yards forward and starboard."

"Switching search light," the pilot replied. A bright light lanced out from the chopper into the darkness and stabbed at the roiling surface of the ocean. The co-pilot steered the search light using his radar fix as a guide, until the light centered on a wind-whipped figure surrounded in the bright orange of a life-preserver.

"Got it!" The co-pilot yelled. "Locking the beam."

"Okay," the pilot said. He then nosed the chopper forward until the search light pointed straight down at the water-logged figure.

Turning his head to one side, the pilot looked at the third man, who was already opening the side door. 

"Roll out the red carpet."

The figure was quickly brought aboard the chopper and placed on a cot behind the pilot's seat. The 

co-pilot did a cursory medical exam. "A mild case of hypothermia," he reported, "but nothing modern medicine can't fix."

After a spasm of coughs, the drenched pilot awoke and took a quick look around. She wiped her hair back from her face and fixed both soldiers with a glare.

"I am Tenoh Haruka, commander of the Second Air Wing, currently based at Havel Air Base, in the Czech Republic."

The co-pilot took this opportunity to return to his seat. He looked over at the pilot as he did so. "Radio to base. We've found her."

When the remaining soldier did not answer immediately, Haruka asked, "Who are you?"

"The man responsible for ordering your mission," Air Marshall Irwin replied.

"May I ask why you took such an interest in my recovery?"

Irwin ignored the slight neglect of military protocol. The truth was, the military did not quite know where to place the Moon Kingdom in its hierarchy, since the Kingdom and the Luna Foundation wished their existence to remain a guarded secret.

"This mission was important to the security of the United Nations, and the maintenance of law and order," Irwin replied. Haruka could tell that the man was not sure he believed his own words. "As such,"

he continued. "It was important that no "loose ends" be left, and that included the pilot who flew the mission."

Irwin paused for a second, then: "May I ask you a question?"

When Haruka nodded, he went on, "Why did you order your squadron to stay on the base?"

"What?" Haruka asked.

"Why did you fly this mission alone?" Irwin asked. "If the entire squadron had flown, you would have completed the mission without having to ditch a specially-built plane that cost more than a few million dollars to build…"

"Well damn," Haruka growled. "You can bill me."

"Now wait a minute," a flustered Irwin started to say, but Haruka cut him off.

"If you are going to do more of these missions, then that is how they are going to be done," Haruka stated. "These missions have one purpose…to kill people. Those kind of missions are something I don't want the rest of the squadron caught up in. So, if there are going to be more of these missions, or any UN missions in the future involving my squadron, you are going to have to take them up with me."

"Are you saying that you won't be doing any more UN missions?" Irwin asked.

"I am saying that as the commander of this particular air wing, my superiors will probably not approve of missions which involve the killing of innocents. You will be very lucky if the only thing they ask for is our reassignment to another base."

"We'll see." Irwin said. The remainder of the trip to Havel Air Base was largely a silent one.

**== SM ==**

The Medical Center at

The Luna Foundation

Amy took a cloth and wiped the sweat from her forehead. The overhead lights that had been brought into this portion of the base's hospital illuminated the bed she was working at, and the body of the woman who lay upon it.

Queen Serenity's body lay covered with a green sheet. Her face was masked by oxygen breathing gear that sat beside the bed. 

An incision had been made in Serenity's abdomen, and Amy had spent the last six hours repairing damage that had been caused when the roof of the throne room had collapsed upon the queen.

There was damage that she could not repair however, and she tried to face that fact as she started to close the incision.

Almost before the first stitch was sewn, Amy's nurse inquired, "What about the spinal damage?"

"There's nothing I can do," Amy said quietly, although inside she screamed, "It's not supposed to happen like this!"

After a brief pause, the nurse tried again. "What about the bones?"

Amy fixed the nurse with a quick stare. "I'm a doctor, Jim…not a miracle worker. I won't be needing any other assistance here. Attend to your other duties."

A frown crossed the man's face. Amy was sure he was thinking of how the queen would spend the rest of her life confined to a wheelchair. It was so unfair. 

The nurse left, and Amy finished the stitches, pausing every so often to wipe the tears from her eyes.

**== SM ==**

"_You're trying to force us to decide which of you is right…..but what if _

_the right choice…is not to choose at all?"_

-Captain John Sheridan

Babylon 5

Bethany Dell's House11:04 PM

South Side of Tokyo

"I don't believe this," Bethany said as she and some of the others watched the riots on the television.

On the screen, rioters were throwing stones at police in front of the Macross Building, which was nearly totally engulfed in flames.

"What's not to believe?" Cass said. "This is live TV"

Sandra stood at the window and looked to the north. Through the overcast sky and the light rain, she could see several fires to the north. "It's unbelievable alright," she said.

"See! Sandra agrees with me!" Cass yelled triumphantly. Vanessa shrunk back in her chair at this outburst.

"Please contain the insanity," Bethany said as she and Brandy entered the room carrying milk and cookies. Brandy set the munchies down on the coffee table in front of the plush couch and looked around. "Now, what was all the celebrating about?"

"Sandra agrees with me!" Cass yelled again.

"A true accomplishment," Vanessa quipped. She got a glare from Cass for that remark.

Sandra looked over at Cass. "I wasn't talking about the TV."

"Oh…" An almost visibly diminished Cass sat back on the couch.

"I assume there was a point to the remark though," Vanessa said. Sandra stopped herself from admonishing Vanessa about respect for the leader of the Sailors…it would be nearly pointless…Vanessa didn't respect anyone she didn't feel was as smart as she was. What mattered to Sandra was that Vanessa would follow orders when asked.

"Can anyone tell me the causes of this rioting?" Sandra asked. Dead silence answered the question.

"Exactly," she said.

"This isn't like the Food Riots or the other protests against the UN?" Brandy asked.

"The Food Riots occurred because of the lack of food in Tokyo following the earthquake of April, 2012."

Vanessa said. "The Outreach Protests were caused by the passage of the UN Outreach Code of 2010. People thought that the passage of the code signaled the beginnings of a world unity dominated by the UN." All of them knew that much about what was still relatively recent history.

Vanessa continued. "Although the Food Riots came close, neither they, nor the Outreach Protests were as large as this latest outbreak of unrest is."

"The Outreach Protests are still going on," Cass reminded the group.

"Yes," Vanessa said. "But they are treated like protests in front of the White House in the US are. They are mostly for show, and not a lot of attention is paid to them."

"I went to that protest a couple of times," Bethany offered. When the others gave her funny looks, she quickly went on the defensive. "Hey, it was our way of rebelling against our parents!" She said, referring to her and her twin brother. Bethany's parents worked for some time with the UN.

"And so begins the Secret Lives of Sailor Scouts," Vanessa remarked.

"She points out something though," Sandra said, defending another friend. "These protests are about a subject that was being protested a lot more peacefully only a few days before now. This whole thing doesn't make sense."

"And then there was the attacks at the palace," Cass added.

"What are you suggesting?" Vanessa asked.

"This whole thing is wrong," Sandra said. "Plus, I am getting an impression of singularity, of unity."

"From where?" Brandy asked.

"From out there," Sandra replied as she pointed out the window. "There is so much hatred out there that my telepathy is picking it up…But it feels like only one or two people are involved."

"Could you be wrong?" Bethany asked.

"Of course," Sandra murmured as she concentrated on her mental powers. "But the more I concentrate on it, the more sure I am. It is two sources causing all of this."

"It could be the Negaverse," Brandy said. "Jedite used to pull mind tricks all the time."

"But what is their target?" Cass asked.

"If this is the Negaverse," Sandra replied, "they have already hit their target." Silence filled the room as they remembered the fire at the palace. 

"So what do we do about it?" Cass asked.

Sandra stepped to the center of the room. "Let's go shake them down," she said grimly.

**== SM ==**

The Medical Center at1:47 AM

The Luna Foundation

A shadowy figure passed through the door into the Medical Center and allowed it to silently close. It paused to look around the darkened room. Control boards beeped and whirred and blinked to no one in particular, and monitoring devices lent their audible and visual cues to the mix that permeated the background. 

The shadow figure noticed all of this. It noticed the remaining patients who were recovering from burns or other injuries suffered during the fire. It also noticed that Amy lay in one of the beds…she had promised not to leave the Medical Center until the queen was able to do so. 

The queen and her doctor were both exhausted.

The shadow form turned to the left and entered the isolation ward where the queen rested. The monitors above her head and at her wrist gently illuminated her body in pale flickering. The shadow form studied the diagnostics….and noted the queen's prognosis.

"This can't be allowed," the figure thought as she laid her right hand gently on the queen's shoulder. The shadow figure and the queen began to glow with a dull blue glow. After a few minutes, the glow faded, and the figure studied the diagnostics.

Satisfied with the results, the shadow turned and left the Medical Center.

**== SM ==**

"_They will not follow you if you are dead."_

-Shadows

Babylon 5

The Top of the Animanga Building11:53 PM

The Animanga Corporation was formed in 1999 after large numbers of complaints surfaced regarding the quality of foreign language dubs that were produced from Japanese-made original anime and manga. The company had grown with the underground growth of the anime market, and it was now one of the main producers of anime in Japan…with subsidiary offices in Los Angeles and London.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Sailor Mars asked as she landed the shuttle on the roof.

"Yes," Sailor Moonreplied softly. "We are very close to one of the sources." She opened the side hatchway of the shuttle and jumped out, followed by the others. They spread out and started to search the top of the building for any clues to the identity of their prey. The area was full of vents, ductwork, crawlways, and corners. Any of these could hide someone…or something.

The search ended about five minutes after it began, when Sailor Moon saw a dark-clothed figure standing near the edge of the building. A thick red fog drifted around his feet. Tapping her wrist communicator twice to signal the other Sailors, Sailor Moon approached the figure.

"Nice view," Sailor Moon stated matter-of-factly.

"I like it," the villain said.

"Do you come here often?" Sailor Moon asked, "or do you only visit during the really exciting riots?"

"You don't understand," the villain replied. "I am Malik, and I am not simply an observer of these riots…I am their master."

"Yeah, right!" Sailor Jupiter goaded from her perch atop the building's penthouse. "You're responsible for this?" She laughed at that thought.

"Yeah," Sailor Venus quipped as she rounded a nearby corner. "You forgot to sign in with us!"

Malik seemed to ignore the insults. "Really," he said. "It's quite simple. I borrow the hatred that ordinary people have, in this case toward the UN, I amplify it, and I give it back."

"So you are the cause of this," Sailor Moon replied.

"Yes," Malik said, "and now that you know my secret, you will have to die."

The fog around Malik's feet swirled upward and surrounded the Sailors. It seemed to penetrate their skin. Venus stumbled as if she were drunk.

"Good," Malik said. "And now I will demonstrate that I am, in fact, the cause of the riots….." He paused to approach Sailor Moon. "I sense that you do not know your team-mates very well. They are suspicious of each other, and you. Suspicion breeds hate…." Now his voice echoed. "Feel the hate, my friends. Bask in it. Let it flow from you!"

The Sailors drank in the fog that Malik exuded. When he was certain they were under his control, the fog faded away. "Now, how do you feel?"

He was answered with "MARS FIRE…IGNITE!" The primal fire slammed into Malik and he was driven backward against the railing. The fire scoured the villain for a few moments, then vanished.

After Malik recovered, he struggled forward. "Why? Why didn't it work?"

Suddenly Sailor Moon stepped forward and grabbed him by what passed for his collar. "You are a fool!"  
She growled. "Sure we are just getting to know each other, but I would put my life in their hands, and they would do the same!"

Shaking Malik, Sailor Moon grinned a wicked smile. "If there's someone we hate or distrust, it's you!" With the other Sailors looking on dispassionately, Sailor Moon pronounced judgement. "You have inflamed the passions of the people beyond what they really are. You have made them kill dozens of innocent people! You have attacked me, my family, and my friends!"

Malik tried to struggle out of Sailor Moon's grip, but it was no use.

"In the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!" With that, Sailor Moon threw Malik off the building. His death scream seemed to echo up at her and the others as they watched his body plummet to the concrete sidewalk. He landed on his neck twenty-six stories later and his skull was crushed. In all of the rush from the nearby riots, he was then trampled by ruffians who were fleeing the scene from newly-arrived police reinforcements…

**== SM ==**

The Medical Center of8:05 AM

The Luna Foundation

Amy awoke from her sleep and got herself something to eat from the food dispenser in the Medical Center. As she sat down to eat, her nurse walked by and entered the queen's isolation ward. 

A few seconds later, Amy was startled when she heard a clipboard drop to the floor and a shout of excitement. "Doc! Get in here! You won't believe this!"

Amy stood flabbergasted at the sight in front of her. On the bed sat an awake, fully-aware Neo-Queen Serenity who was quite confused at all the attention she was getting. She then noticed that she was not quite dressed, and she glanced at Amy. "Does he have to be here?" She asked, pointing at the nurse.   
Jim looked over at Amy, who nodded her permission to leave the room.

After the nurse left, Serenity rose to her feet and snatched a robe from the next bed. 

When she leaned to grab the robe, Amy noticed that the incision had not only completely healed…but there was no scar…

**== SM ==**

United Nations HQ – New York9:02 AM

The general had just put the phone receiver back on its hook and turned to consult with Air Marshall Irwin when three shapes shimmered into view in front of both of them. Irwin recognized Haruka as one of them. While he did not recognize the others, all three wore the same form-fitting, short uniforms.

"These must be the 'superiors' she was talking about," Irwin thought as the general rose from his chair to protest.

"How dare you simply pop in here without an invitation!" He yelled, forgetting that he did not know how these intruders had managed such a feat.

Sailor Moon stepped forward. "I'm sure you have met Sailor Uranus," she said, gesturing to her comrade to her left. "My other friend is Sailor Mars. I am Sailor Moon."

"Glad to meet you," the general said wryly. "Now, what can I do for you?"

"There are two things I need," Sailor Moon replied. "The first is that the air wing attached to the Crystal Palace will be relocated off-planet

"That is in violation of the agreement between the Luna Foundation and the United Nations!" The general stammered.

Sailor Moon stepped forward and nearly came nose to nose with the general. "I am altering that agreement, you murderous son-of-a-bitch! You will give the order relocating the air wing, or I will give the

order releasing everything we know about this operation and the attack on St. Petersburg, and by the end of the week there won't be enough left of the UN to scoop up with a spatula!"

"You can't threaten us!" Irwin protested.

Sailor Moon turned to him. "Oh really?" She quipped sharply. "I can do a lot when I put my mind to it."

"I wouldn't tick her off," Mars advised. "She's had a really bad day."

Sailor Moon stood back and tapped her wrist comm. "Get ready to pull us out, Sailor Jupiter." The three women backed up toward the back of the office.

"Remember what I said," Sailor Moon warned.

Irwin tried again. "We don't follow orders from you, or the Luna Foundation," he said.

Sailor Mars pulled a video cassette from a carry-all she was carrying and tossed it to the general.

"By the way,' Sailor Moon said. "My second request is on that video tape, followed by the report we will release if you don't comply." She paused, then added, "Consider these your first orders from the Moon Kingdom. You would do well to obey them."

With that, the three Sailors vanished.

**== SM ==**

"In our top story, United Nations spokesmen said today that the near-destruction of St. Petersburg was

caused by a rogue air pilot who sided with the anti-UN faction," the newscaster said.. "UN naval forces are

searching the waters off Latvia for any remains of the pilot or plane. Although the anti-UN faction in St. Petersburg denies involvement in the bombing of the city, there is no information at this time to determine who was behind the attack.

"In other news, national defense forces have been called in to assist local police in subduing the riots which have disrupted the center of Tokyo for the past three days. Officials in Tokyo say that they are rapidly gaining the upper hand on the situation, and that the riots should be over by this time tomorrow… On world stock markets, the Dow reacted to the police announcement with a sharp gain….."

# Fanfic ã1999 – John Brengman and Artemis Publishing

Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, 

ã 1992 by Toei Animation Co Ltd. and based on Kodansha's

manga production of "Sailor Moon", written by Naoko Takeuchi

This fanfic is freely distributed. Release date: January 11, 1999

Release: 3rd Edition: Released on January 22, 2001


	9. SX#9 - A Moon Princess is Born

Sailor X #9A Moon Princess Is Born

By: John Brengman

# PROLOGUE

"With one command, the professor spread his essence out over the millions of years, from the death of the first dinosaur species to the death of the last."

Most of the girls looked at Vanessa with faces ranging from amazement to shock to horror. Sandra simply smiled faintly, having heard this story before.

"So that's why the Eye of Time was built," Victoria mused. All of the girls knew what the Eye looked like. It was a large circular disk which sat upon an ornately-decorated metal tripod. A metal arm extended up and over the disk from the tripod. At the end of the arm was a large crystal. The surface of the disk looked like a huge starfield which was divided up into small squares which curved around the disk. To use the Eye, one simply moved the crystal, which served as a pointer,over the desired square. Each square was a different area of time, or a different place. 

If a time or place wasn't on the disk, a side control panel could be used to give the Eye more information.

It had been decided soon after the discovery of how Rachel had become Sailor Mercury that any other questions should be answered. These sessions, which took place in Sandra's sitting room had almost turned into a game, with each person asking one question. Cass had asked about the "strange record-player in the room where the Timegate is." The next question came to Sandra: "How hard was it for you to becomeSailor Moon?" This came from Brandy, who was busy combing her long golden-blonde hair as she sat

cross-legged on the floor.

"Well," Sandra said. "Becoming Sailor Moon was the easy part because of my mother. Becoming a 

Sailor in general…that was hard."

"Why?" Cass inquired.

"Try telling an eleven-year old that her destiny is to fight evil, and you'll get one of two responses," Sandra replied. "The kid will either think 'Cool!' or be completely terrified. I leaned more toward the 'Cool!' until after the first couple weeks. I had not fought any real evil, and what I did fight was in the training room. Mother had to straighten me out…"

***

The Luna FoundationApril 14, 2011

Training Room

The Moon Wand skidded across the floor as the holographic images faded into nothingness and somewhere in the distance, a computer voice intoned, "Sailor Moon has been killed." The door to the control room opened and Neo-Queen Serenity and Luna emerged into the training room. The computer announced the results of the latest test again.

"I'd say so," Luna growled. "She just stood there shouting at the monster to stop!"

"I will handle this," Serenity said coldly.

"What" Luna asked. "Why?"

Serenity stopped and fixated on Luna with an angry glare. "Does my first battle bring back any fond memories for you?"

Luna's reply was stifled by a screamed: "Mom! This is too hard!" Sandra ran over to her mother and hugged her. "I can't do this." Luna had to content herself with retrieving the Moon Wand.

"You CAN do it, Sandra," Serenity replied. "It takes time, but you can do it."

"I don't want to!" Came the shouted response. "I don't want to play this game anymore."

"It's not a game," Serenity said, trying to maintain her calm. "You can take your time and work at it."

"I don't want to do it this way!" Sandra shouted. "You did this the easy way!"

That did it.

"You think so?" Serenity asked. Her right hand glowed slightly as she touched her daughter on the shoulder. Sandra slumped into her arms, unconscious. Luna approached. "What did you do?" she asked.

"You remember my first battle?" Serenity asked. "She's going to get to re-live it. She won't be able to interact, but she'll see and feel every minute."

"May I ask why?

"She thinks that being a Sailor is going to be easy. This should teach her otherwise."

"Yes," Luna replied, "and guess who gets to give her the lesson."

Serenity groaned with realization. "There has to be a down side to everything."

**Sailor Moon #1: A Moon Star Is Born**

Based on anime by 

Naoko Takeuchi

"_A thousand years ago, our moon was home to a_

_great civilization ruled by Queen Serenity. Everything_

_was peaceful until the arrival of the evil Queen Beryl._

_To conquer the moon, Queen Beryl released the awesome_

_power of the Negaforce. Although her world was destroyed,_

_Queen Serenity's last hope was the power of the Imperium_

_Silver Crystal and the Moon Wand. Frozen in moon beam_

_Crystals, the Queen sent the Princess and the children of the_

_moon to the future on Earth. Their memories lost to them all,_

_the Queen's cat advisors, Luna and Artemis, must find the_

_Princess so she will at last be safe._

_ _

_And so, our story begins…"_

- Narrator, Episode 1

Serena's House8:17 am

Serena shot out of her bed with an anguished scream as her alarm clock rang. "Oh no! I'm late for school again!" With that, she hurriedly dressed and rushed down the stairs past the kitchen and into the bathroom where she hurriedly started to brush her teeth.

"Mother, why didn't you wake me up in time for the first bell?" Serena asked.

Ikuko Tsukino didn't look up from the papers she was reading on the kitchen table. She'd been through this before. With a slight sigh, she replied, "I did, Serena darling, three times, and each time you said you were getting up right away."

"And you _believed me?" Serena rushed out of the bathroom and headed for the front door._

"Serena!" Ikuko called as she heard her daughter near the door.

"I've gotta go!"

Holding up a pink-decorated lunchbag, Ikuko replied, "Aren't you forgetting something, dear?"

"What?" A face appeared in the doorway. "Hmm. Oh yeah."

With lunchbag and schoolbooks, Serena bolted out the front door with a shouted "Bye mom! See ya after school!"

Serena stifled a yawn as she ran down the street near her school. As fatigue caught up with her, she slowed.

"I'm so sleepy," she moaned. "Why can't today be Saturday?"

As she got to the entrance to a parking lot, Serena was distracted by three young boys in the lot. The sat hunched over something…

"Hold it still, I want to feel its tongue!" One of the other boys, wearing a blue cap, tugged viciously on the subject of this torture. The cat yelped in pain.

Serena heard this and with a gasp, turned toward the lot. "Hey!" She yelled as she ran toward the group. 

"Stop it! Leave that cat alone!" The three young thugs made a hasty retreat at the sight of the older girl bearing down on them.

"Rotten brats!" Serena shouted after them. Turning her attention to the cat, she knelt down to pick it up. "You poor thing," she murmured, "did those creepy kids hurt you, kitty?" The only reaction she got from the cat was a struggle as it seemed to try to get away and pull a bandage from its forehead.

"You're okay," Serena said as she put the cat in her lap, "but how 'bout I take this bandage off of you?"

Pulling slowly on the bandage, which still elicited a yowl from the cat, Serena revealed a gold crescent moon in the middle of the car's forehead.

"Huh?" A startled Serena asked. "Is that a crescent moon?" Before she could investigate further, the cat leaped from her arms to the top of her head, and from there to the roof of a nearby car. It turned then and

approached Serena, its whiskers bristling.

Serena, now quite spooked, backed up a step, stammering "N..Nice kitty.."

"This girl," Luna said to herself. "I sense something!"

At that moment, Serena remembered the time and dashed off with a shouted: "Oh great, now I'm really late!"

Luna stood atop the car roof and watched her go. "Could she be the one?" She silently wondered.

**== SM ==**

Crossroads Junior High

Picking at her lunch with a pair of chopsticks, Serena quipped, "Hey! Did ya hear there's a new 'Sailor V' video game out? I saw it on TV."

A stern Ms. Haruna approached carrying a sheet of paper. "Serena," she growled. "you need more studying, and less TV. There isn't any excuse for failing this exam!"

Serena gasped. "I failed? How can that be?" Yet, the big red, underlined 30 seemed to glare back at her.

Haruna continued. "Have your mother sign this and return it to me."

**== SM ==**

The Schoolyard

Molly stood and watched as Serena moped on the sidewalk. "Aww chill out, Serena, it's just one lousy test. It's not like it's the end of the world or something."

An unconvinced Serena replied, "You don't get it, Molly. If my mom finds out I flunked that test, she'll ground me and cut my allowance, and I won't get to play the new 'Sailor V' game." Molly's response was cut off when a shorter kid with what could best be described as unkempt hair and wire-rimmed glasses

approached.

"Hey Serena," Melvin said. "I heard about your test. Want me to be your tutor?"

"About as much as a toothache," came the murmured response.

"You're such a dweeb, Melvin. She doesn't need a tutor," Molly said. "She needs a trip to the mall to get her mind off this." A burst of inspiration hit the young red-head. "Tell you mom you're at my house studying!"

An incredulous Melvin interrupted. "You're going shopping? What's more important than your grades?" He held up his algebra test. In the upper corner was a large red 95. "Look," he said. "I didn't study and I only got a 95. How will I ever be able to explain this to my parents?"

"Do we care?" Molly quipped.

Another wail erupted from Serena, followed by a whined "Maybe he's right.."

"What?" We're going shopping," Molly insisted. "By the time you get home, your mom will have forgotten all about that dumb test."

Serena looked up at her friend. "Do you really think so?"

"I know so, " Molly replied. "I saw some major-awesome boots on sale." This brought a smile to Serena's face, and she chimed in: "We can get ice-cream!"

"Then shop some more!" Molly continued.

"Can we look for some earrings?" Serena asked.

"Good idea," Molly replied. "We can go to my mom's jewelry store. She's got some major-cool stuff, I mean wicked-cool."  
"I could use some new pink berets for my hair," Serena mused. A frustrated Melvin could only stand and watch these two girls plan how to thwart the education system for the afternoon.

"Oh, she's got all kinds of great things!" Molly exclaimed. "You've gotta see it! It'll blow you away! Diamonds, rubies, emeralds, all kinds of stuff! Even some rhinestones!"

That really caught Serena's attention. Her eyes lit up. "Rhinestones? I love them!"

"She's got lots of them, and in lots of colors!"

"Pink? And purple?"

"Oh, like for sure!"  
"Alright! What are we waiting for..let's go!" With that, the two girls started off down the street, leaving

Melvin behind to stare after them.

"Hehe…Serena," he said as the girls walked into the distance. "Heh heh. Beautiful…but a shop-aholic."

**== SM ==**

The Throneroom

Queen Beryl's Castle

A pale light floated from the holders in this room where light seemed to wish to flee. A huge hideous face

with long sharp teeth protruded from the wall above the stone throne. The throne itself was carved into a platform which branched out to both sides of it. The floor was pitch black, dimly reflecting the light.

A slender woman with flowing red hair sat upon the throne, her hands flowing over a scrying orb in front of her. She was not alone…shadowy figures lurked around the edges of the throne room. They kept back, as if they were afraid of the light…or the being that occupied the throne.

Queen Beryl's voice rang out with purpose and authority."The oracles says it's time to attack the other dimension, to unleash the power of the Negaforce."

A chorus of "Yess…" came from the gathered shadow-figures. "Yess!"

"But to do so," Beryl said as her hands continued to dance over the orb, "I shall require energy, yes, a great deal of energy." There was a slight pause, then: "We shall get it from the planet, Earth.

So Jedite, present yourself and tell me of your progress there."

A soft-spoken voice replied from the darkness: "Yes, Queen Beryl." A blue green haze appeared at the far end of the throne room. When it cleared, a thin, blonde man with short, slightly curly hair appeared. He wore a black military-like uniform with a thin red trim.

With a slight bow, Jedite began his report. "As we speak, my servant Morga is on the other side, preparing to gather energy. The humans are weak and helpless, and they will yield to our will and then nothing will stand in the way of the great Negaforce."

"Do not fail me, Jedite," Beryl warned calmly. "I need their energy."

"Yes, my queen," Jedite replied with a slight nod.

**== SM ==**

OSA-P Jewelry Store

"Come on in!" A voice boomed over the throng gathered both inside and outside the jewelry store. "Everyone's welcome. Make me an offer!"

Inside the crowded store, people browsed the jewelry cases and tried on necklaces and rings. Serena and Molly entered the store and saw two customers enthralled with the necklaces they were trying on.

Serena looked over at her friend. "Molly," she said. "What's going on?"

Before Molly could come up with an answer, her mother raised the megaphone to her mouth and continued. "Welcome ladies! Here's your chance to own diamonds, sapphires, emeralds…"

All of this seemed too weird for the two girls.

"I don't get it," Molly said worriedly. "My mom's sure acting strange."

"Yeah," Serena agreed. "What'd she put in her coffee this morning?"

"…today only, everything in the store is ninety percent off! Please feel free to try out anything."

Ms. Baker walked toward a small clear area near the center of the room, a slight wicked grin crossing her face. She looked around at the crowds with satisfaction, and she chuckled to herself.

"…and surrender your frantic energy to Queen Beryl and the Negaforce!" As she looked, the agent of evil could see a slight glow glimmering from the jewelry being worn by most of the people in the store. Slowly, silently, the necklaces, pendants, and rings began to siphon energy from their wearers.

"For I am Morga, loyal disciple to the Negaverse, and my jewels will drain away ALL your energy!" The siphoned energy was fed into one of Morga's ear rings…

…In the Negaverse, Jedite reached out his right hand and the collected energies swirled as they appeared over his palm.

"You have done well, Morga," he informed his accomplice. "So much greed. So much energy! Queen Beryl will be most pleased! Feed the Negaforce, foolish humans! Queen Beryl will soon triumph! Prepare them Morga, for her triumphant arrival!" Then Jedite laughed an evil laugh which carried across the dimensional barrier to his servant.

"With pleasure," Morga replied softly. Her interlude was interrupted by Molly's call: "Momma?"

She quickly gathered herself and turned. "Oh Molly, what a surprise."

Not noticing her mother's strange behavior, Molly said "Serena and I came to see some"

"Rhinestone jewelry!" Serena shouted eagerly.

Ms. Baker scoffed cheerfully. "Rhinestones! Hah! Don't be silly now, girls! Help yourselves to some diamonds instead! There are plenty to go around!"

"Diamonds?" Serena managed to get out through her glee.

"Why yes," Ms. Baker continued. "Any friend of Molly's deserves nothing but the best!"

To Serena, this was if she had stepped off the street directly into Heaven. "I can't believe this," she quivered. "I totally can't believe this!"

Stepping behind a case, Ms. Baker pulled out a small box. A ring glistened from its perch within the box.

"Here Serena," she said. "Would you like to try on this ring?"

Serena leaned forward to gaze at the ring. " Wow! Would I?" She asked rhetorically.

"It's a flawless twenty-carat diamond," Ms. Baker said. "For you, ten dollars!"

This announcement caught the attention of everyone in the store. Both Molly and Serena managed to gasp "Twenty carats, ten dollars!" before they were bulldozed out of the way by an overweight woman who shouted "MINE!" about a second before she was joined at the counter by all of the other customers, who started fighting each other to get to the front of the crowd.

Molly and Serena managed to crawl out from the raging crowd and they headed to the door.

"Serena, this is way weird," Molly said worriedly.

"What's up with your mom, Molly?" Serena asked. "I've never seen her like this before."

"I don't know," Molly half-whispered., "but I'm worried."

Clasping her books in front of her, Serena glanced at the ceiling and mused, "This place is totally whacko, Molly. What's going on?"

Molly gasped as she saw that her friend was about to leave. "Where are ya going?"

"I think I'll take a nap before showing my mom my grades," came the reply which was then followed by a yawn.

Molly gave up. "Okay, see you tomorrow, Serena."

As Serena walked through the sliding glass doors of the jewelry store, shouts of "Give it to me!" "Mine!"

and "No!" could be heard from the crowd that was still pressed at the jewelry case. Serena turned right and headed away.

Three steps later, she stopped as her plan unraveled. "Oh no," she thought as she pulled her test from her pocket. "How can I tell mom I flunked another test?"

A sudden rush of anger flashed through her and Serena yelled "How can I show her this thing!" With that, she crumpled the paper up and tossed it back over her shoulder. The paper sailed through the air and bounced off another person who protested: "Hey, watch it, Meatball-head!"

"Huh?" Serena said startled. "Oh, sorry." She turned to see a tall, lanky guy with short jet-black hair retrieving her test paper. He straightened it out and scanned it. "A thirty," he remarked wryly. "Admirable!" He lowered the paper, ignoring Serena's yelp of protest. From behind black sunglasses, the man continued. "Are you stupid or just incredibly lazy?"

Serena rushed up to the man in a huff. "How dare you!" She ripped the paper from his hands with a shouted: ""Give me that!" Turning around, she stormed off murmuring under her breath. "Hmmph! The nerve of that guy! What a total jerk, calling me a meatball-head!" She paused to sneak a glance back at the

mysterious guy. "Still…he sure is cute."

Darien pulled his sunglasses off his face and his cobalt-blue eyes stared at Serena as she walked away. His eyes narrowed slightly. "…something about that girl…" He thought.

** **

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** **

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**== SM ==**

Crown Game Video Arcade

Serena walked past the arcade with its huge sidewalk poster, then backtracked when she saw its subject. She stared at the poster with envy.

"Ohhh," she thought aloud. "The new 'Sailor V' video game." The poster showed a masked girl in a form-fitting uniform and short dress in the upper left corner. The young blonde warrior had struck a fighting stance with one hand flashing her trademark V sign. Bad guys who looked like Mafia thugs dominated the remainder of the poster.

"Ahh," Serena thought as she gazed at Sailor V. She crouched down to get a better view. 

"I wish I could be like Sailor V," Serena thought. "She's so beautiful and smart. Something exciting's always happening in her life..not like mine."

Luna silently observed Serena from behind a nearby sign.

"Who am I kidding?" Serena continued to think aloud as she gazed from the poster to her rumpled test. "I'll never be like Sailor V…not with grades like this… Mom's gonna blow a gasket when she sees this…"

Standing suddenly, Serena let the pain of her present problem wash over her. "Awgh! Ohhh! What am I going to dooooo…" She cried. Taking deep breaths, Serena turned again toward home, sobbing with each step.

Luna emerged from behind the sign she had hidden behind and watched as the young girl walked down the street. 

"I can't believe it," Luna said to herself with amazement. "This crybaby, she's the one?"

**== SM ==**

Serena's House

Serena slipped quietly through the front door of her house, but was met there by her mother, who immediately inquired about the subject Serena had been dreading all day.

"So, how did you do on yesterday's algebra test?"

Feigning ignorance, Serena replied, "Test? In algebra?"

"You know," Ikuko said. "The one you were studying for the other night with Melvin. You two were up so late at the library…."

Serena started to panic…there was no way she was going to get out of this one.

"…Melvin's mom said he got a ninety-five, and they are very disappointed."

Serena perked up as if suddenly remembering. "Oh yeah! That ..heh heh.. algebra test…Well, ah see."

Seeing her daughter was stalling, Ikuko pressed the attack. "Serena? Come on, tell me. How did you do?"

"Well, I…you see, it's like this….I uhm well…"

Ikuko held out her hand. "Let me see."

A long pause followed, then with a gulp, Serena handed her mother the test with a resigned "Okay…"

"Thirty!" Ikuko growled as she waved a spatula she had in her right hand. "You said you studied! You know what you need to do?"

Serena shrunk away. "No…"

Ikuko chased her daughter out the front door with the shouted: "Go back to the library to study for the next algebra test!" With that, she slammed the front door behind Serena, who turned and pleaded: "Mother, noooo! Please! It's too late in the afternoon to study…" and the rest was virtually swallowed in another round of whining.

**== SM ==**

OSA-P Jewelry Store

At the still-packed jewelry store, Morga's plan began to take effect, and one-by-one, the customers began to drop as their lifeforce was drained away.

"Something's wrong," one woman said as she sank to her knees. "I feel very strange." Her ring and the pendant on her necklace both were glowing noticeably. Behind her, another woman collapsed onto the floor with a groan.

Elsewhere in the store, the overweight woman who had led the stampede to claim the diamond offered to Serena was also feeling the effects of Morga's tainted jewels. With a groaned: "Oh, mercy me, I feel as if I'm going to faint…" she crashed to the floor, her necklaces and jewelry cascading around her.

The scene continued as Molly entered the room. She surveyed the scene and found no reasonable explanation for what was happening. 

"Momma," she said. "I'm scared. What's happening to all of your customers?" No answer was forthcoming from the statuesque figure standing beside one of the jewelry cases near the far side of the room, facing away from Molly.

"Momma?"

Morga let out an evil laugh. 

Momma!"

Then, without moving her body, Morga turned her head to face Molly. With a flush of evil on her face, Morga laughed again and said: "I'm not your mother, Molly dear!"

Molly covered her mouth to squelch a scream.

**== SM ==**

Serena's House

"Studying so hard is very, very tiring," Serena murmured as she tried to make herself comfortable on her bed. "All those books, all those words… It can't be too good for a person. How does Melvin do it?" She turned onto her side, closing her eyes… "Oh I so sleepy, so tired…oh sleep…" And with a yawn, Serena drifted off…

The window opened with a creaking sound and a slight breeze blew in. A shadow drifted across Serena's back, seemed about to run as she stirred, then continued its approach.

The wind caught the window and slammed it shut with a clatter that awoke Serena. "Huh?" Then she looked over and saw the cat she had rescued earlier standing on her bed behind her.

Serena jumped up with a shrieked: "You scared me! What are you doing here?"

Then a rather unexpected thing happened: the cat spoke.

"Why Serena," Luna said. "I came to see you, of course, who else?" 

Serena jumped to the side of the bed, attempting to hide from what obviously was a monster. Only her head could be seen above the sheets as she muttered, "A talking cat! Oh men, I _have been studying too hard." _

Luna cleared her throat, then continued. "My name is Luna, and I have been searching for you for a very long time."

Serena was so startled and scared that she couldn't make a coherent response.

"You are the chosen one," Luna continued. "and I have been sent here to guide you on the path to your ultimate destiny. I wasn't sure if you were the one the first time we met, but I've been watching you, and now I absolutely know that you are…the Sailor Scout of the moon!" 

Luna slowly walked toward Serena, who then threw her head into the bed covers. "I am hallucinating!"

"No you're not, Serena. You are Sailor Moon and your friend Molly's in big trouble." Luna put her front paws on Serena's head and nudged her. "You have got to help her!"

Seeing that that tactic wasn't working, Luna stood back. "You don't believe me?" She said. "Well, alright then, I'll prove it to you." With that, Luna jumped into the air. After doing a somersault, she landed back on the bed. A small golden pendant-like object fell on the bed in front of her. The front of its case was decorated by a large pink circle on one side, and an engraved crescent moon on the other.

Curiosity got the best of Serena, who opened one eye to gaze at the shiny object. "What is that?" She asked with a slight bit of hesitation, as if it might bite her.

The announcement: "It's a special locket just for you," brought Serena around. "Wow", she said as she picked it up and studied it closer. "For me? It's beautiful!"

With a giggle, Serena got up and headed to her dresser. "How should I wear it, on my school uniform or…"

Luna interrupted this with: "Serena, it's not just a piece of jewelry! Listen to me."

Serena had already pinned the locket onto her school shirt and was appraising her appearance as Luna tried to get her attention. "Do you hear what I'm saying?"

It didn't appear so.

"Sailor Moon, sworn to defend the princess of the Moon!" Luna jumped to Serena's dresser. "Powerful evil forces have appeared here on Earth, and that special locket can help you fight them. "

Still no effect.

"You are Sailor Moon, and you must fight evil when it confronts you! You must not be afraid!"

Being afraid was the farthest thing from Serena's mind at the moment. A smile appeared on her face as she seemed to spend about two seconds pondering what Luna had said. 

"Yeah right, just like Sailor V," was her response.

"This is no joke, Serena," Luna said patiently. "Do you hear me, this is your destiny."

"My destiny? I must be dreaming."

"It's no dream. I'll prove it, Serena. Just repeat after me: Moon Prism Power!"

Still not grasping the gravity of the situation, Serena saluted Luna. "Okay," she quipped.

Raising her hand into the air, Serena yelled, "MOON PRISM POWER!" and began her first transformation into her heroine alter-ego.

Luna sat and watched this. 

After the transformation was completed, Serena quickly noticed her Sailor uniform. "Ahh!" She gasped. "What happened? This dream is getting weirder and weirder! I'll never study that hard again. I want to play Sailor V video games! I don't want to listen…"  
Any further hysterics were cut off by the echoing sound of Molly's voice…coming from _somewhere…*_

"Help me! Please help me! …Somebody please help me!" She then screamed a loud scream that seemed to get Sailor Moon's attention.

"That's Molly." Sailor Moon said.

"That's right," Luna replied. "She's in big trouble."

"Yeah," Sailor Moon protested. "But what can I do to help? You keep forgettingI'm just a kid."

"You are Sailor Moon," Luna replied. "You will know what to do when you look into your heart. Believe in yourself."

Sailor Moon wasn't sure she liked that advice.

**== SM ==**

OSA-P Jewelry Store

"Oooooo…somebody please help me!!" came Molly's tortured shout from within the store. She was struggling against Morga. The evil monster held the red-haired girl by the neck and was trying to choke her.

As Molly struggled, Morga gloated. "There's no one to help you now, little girl!"

Molly struggled to get out another call for help as Morga laughed another evil laugh at Molly's helplessness….then shed her disguise. Her skin shifted into a mottled brownish hue, and a dark red cross-like ark appeared on her forehead. Her eyes became red and sunken and the skin withered away from her eye sockets. Her hands became coarse and bony…her fingers became claws.

Ignoring the screams of her victim, Morga continued to gloat. "Soon you and your kind will cease to exist, once Queen Beryl unleashes the Negaforce she will destroy you all."

"Let her go!"

Morga turned toward the sound of the new intruder. "What's that?"

A form stood in the entrance to the store, framed by the night sky and the city lights. "I said, let her go."

Still holding Molly, the villain scoffed. "And who are you?"  
Sailor Moon was caught off-guard by this, and stammered, "Well…uhh..ahh..my name is.." Then she calmed, as if inspiration had struck. "I am Sailor Moon, the champion of justice. And I say, on behalf of the Moon, I shall right wrongs and triumph over evil." As she finished the pose that went along with these particular phrases, an angry-looking Sailor Moon said, "and that means you!"

Morga was unimpressed. "Sailor Moon? Never heard of you, and I'm sure I never will again!" The monster rose her hands and shouted, "arise my children and serve the great power that is the Negaverse!" As Sailor Moon watched, the patrons of the store arose with a collective moan. They all had blank, lifeless stares, and they moved forward like zombies.

Sailor Moon backed up as the crowd of zombies approached. "Luna," she half-pleaded. "Help me.. I don't know what to do." The overweight woman-turned-zombie and several others hurled themselves at Sailor Moon, who barely managed to dodge each of them.

Sailor Moon landed roughly on the floor near some of the stone pillars which supported the building. An attack by Morga slammed Sailor Moon against one of the pillars with a thud. 

A near-panicked Sailor Moon stared with a glazed look at the floor. "Oww. That hurt. I don't want to do this anymore."

Luna slipped up to Sailor Moon from behind the pillar. "Sailor Moon, what are you doing? You must fight this evil monster, or the whole universe could cease to exist."

As if hearing Luna's prediction of doom, Morga floated up to the ceiling on the far side of the room and let out a blood-curdling laugh.

Sailor Moon could not be moved. This was NOT a video game… "I don't want to play this game anymore," she wailed. "Enough! I want to go home!"

"Fine!" Morga shouted menacingly. "I'll send youaway for good!" With a growl, she shot her clawed hand out and down toward the near-paralyzed Sailor.

The claws descended rapidly, and Sailor Moon could see their razor sharpness…

Luna gasped as she sensed Sailor Moon's impending doom.

Sailor Moon screamed in terror.

With a flash of light, the claw that was meant to end Sailor Moon's life was deflected. Instead, a few feet in front of her, a single red rose protruded from the floor.

Glancing in the direction of this latest disturbance, Morga saw a thin, black-haired guy dressed in a black and white tuxedo, wearing a top-hat, and a cape. He stood in an open window near the ceiling.

"Now who might you be?"

The man replied. "I am Tuxedo Mask! Sailor Moon, look into your heart and find the warrior within you.

It is your destiny."

Sailor Moon was still not ready to deal with everything that had happened to her. "But I don't want to be a warrior…" and she then broke down into nearly-uncontrolled crying….that was somehow amplified across the store. The zombies started to fall to the floor as Morga shouted in pain.

"Stop that hideous crying!" The villain screamed.

Seeing the opening, Luna poked out from behind the pillar. "Sailor Moon," she said. "Quickly, throw your tiara, and then say: 'Moon Tiara Magic.'"

"Wha…what good is that gonna do?" Sailor Moon stammered. Luna's "Just do it!" knifed through Sailor Moon and she flinched.

However, the order had been given. Reaching to her forehead, Sailor Moon pulled her tiara from her forehead. "MOON TIARA MAGIC!"

The tiara sailed through the air at the villain, who realized too late that indeed the young girl she faced was about to defeat her. Morga's screams mingled with a flash of light as the magic of the tiara consumed her. As the zombie slaves fell again to the floor, Sailor Moon stepped forward to look at the results of her tiara's attack. "I did that?" she managed to gasp.

The villain shouted, "I shall return!" then dissolved into a pile of dust.

In the Nageverse, Jedite watched as the energy in his palm pulsed brightly. 

"What?" He stammered. "The energy…" The glowing energy vanished, leaving him alone in the darkness. A grim look crossed his face.

"Someone will pay dearly for this!"

As Sailor Moon walked up to examine the dust that was Morga, it flickered and disappeared.

Before she could wonder what happen, Tuxedo Mask spoke: "You have done well, Sailor Moon, and now Molly's mother and all the other women are free. Others will test you.. Do not be afraid." As he turned to leave, Tuxedo Mask said, "I will fight with you."

Uncertain of what condition her new companion was in, Luna approached. "Are you alright, Sailor Moon," she said. "Speak to me."

Sailor Moon was in a daze however…"What a hunky guy…" was her only response.

**== SM ==**

Crossroads Junior High

"Serena, you're not going to believe this," Molly happily chattered. "but my mom and I had the strangest dream last night..that we were attacked by this hideous monster and that this beautiful warrior named Sailor Moon saved us!"

The girl standing next to Molly looked over. "What? Are you kidding? I had the same dream!"

Another girl chimed in. "Yeah! Me too!"

Molly gasped as she mulled this over. "That's weird. Very weird. Serena, isn't that the weirdest?"

Serena sat at her desk, her head covered by her arms.

"Serena?"

Serena tiredly looked up. Hey you guys, could you please keep it down? I was up late last night, and I just need a little bit more sleep." With a yawn, Serena settled back into her arms and murmured, "Good night…"

# EPILOGUE

The Luna FoundationApril 14, 2011

Medical Center

"Mother," Sandra muttered as she awoke.

"I am here, darling." Queen Serenity replied.

When the girl tried to push herself to a sitting position, a gentle but firm hand prevented it. "Just rest now," Serenity said.

"What happened to me?" Sandra asked.

"You made a mistake," Serenity replied simply. "You told me that I got to be a Sailor by taking the easy way. I hope you have seen that you were wrong." Serenity paused for a second, as if weighing her words. "It was a lot of hard work to become a _good Sailor, and although it was probably necessary, I still haven't quite forgiven Luna for what she put me through in the beginning."_

"I'm sorry, mother." Sandra said. "I didn't mean it. I was just frightened and mad."

"I know." Serenity replied softly. "I was too…many times. What is important is that you have as much time as you need to grow into the Sailor powers…to learn to use them….and to claim your own role in the Moon Kingdom.

I will be here to help you. So will Luna and Artemis, and the elder Sailors if they have the time."

Neo-Queen Serenity reached over and took her daughter's hand. "No matter what," she said. "You will never have to go through this alone."

FINI

**FOOTNOTES**

* The screaming that Sailor Moon heard from Molly, and the amplification of her wailing was done by a

portion of her uniform (the red bulbs in her hair) Yet, because this is the only time this power is used, I

did not see the need to go into any depth of detail with it. Rather, I wrote it in as mysteriously as it

seemed to Sailor Moon at the time…

# Fanfic ã1999 – John Brengman and Artemis Publishing

Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, 

ã 1992 by Toei Animation Co Ltd. and based on Kodansha's

manga production of "Sailor Moon", written by Naoko Takeuchi

This fanfic is freely distributed. Release date: January 11, 1999


	10. SX#10 - The Quest for the Orb

Sailor X #10The Quest for the Orb

By: John Brengman

Edited by: Thomas Schell

High Security Lab #1

The Luna Foundation

The thin, nearly bald man arose from his workbench and the nearly disassembled cyborg that covered the table.

"I've managed to activate this cyborg's internal circuits," Dr. Nicholas Oren said as he turned to Sandra and some of the other Scouts who had gathered there. 

"What did you find?" Sandra asked as she leaned on a nearby table.

"Plenty," Oren replied as he brushed aside a lock of blue-like hair and attached a wire to a socket behind the cyborg's left ear. "This cyborg identified itself as Cybermercury, and it has a great deal of information

on the technical aspects of her design, her mission, and various information on her home dimension, a place 

we'll dub "Cyberworld."

The doctor hooked the wire he attached to the cyborg into a computer and keyed sine instructions into the terminal.

"What do you want to hear first?" The doctor asked.

**== * SM *==**

The Throne Room

The Luna Foundation

Neo-Queen Serenity propped herself on the bed that had been moved to the throne room for her benefit. In fact, the entire throne room was a smaller version of the main throne room in the ruins of the castle,

which was in the process of being rebuilt. Sandra, the other Sailors and the cat guardians had gathered around Serenity and Dr. Oren.

"Let me get this straight," the queen said. "Cyberworld is a parallel universe to our own?"

"Yes," Oren replied. "According to the records we were able to salvage, unlike the Negaverse, which is more of a demiplane than a real universe, Cyberworld is a replica of this universe, with the same galaxies, stars, and planets…"

"And another Earth?" Cass quipped.

"Yes," Oren confirmed. "That is where Cybermercury and her comrades came from?"

"Wait a minute," Cass growled. "That can't be! That's where we are from!"

"Normally, I'd agree," Oren replied as he readied a projector that he had brought with him. He activated a computer terminal and made sure the connection between it and the projector were sound. "However, in this case," Oren paused for added emphasis. "In Cyberworld, the Sailors as we know them, indeed the Moon Kingdom itself, never existed…." With that, the lights dimmed, and the show began…

**== * SM *==**

Dr. Oren, Narrator

"The Earth of Cyberworld has gradually grown into a vastly different place than our own world. I won't bore you with the details of centuries of Cyberworld history. Suffice it to say that from their early history, they have held deep-rooted suspicions of magic, and those who seemed to be able to channel energy, call upon spirits, or anything else that the people did not understand.

In Cyberworld, as in our own world, the 1300s were dominated by the Black Death, which was brought to Europe over the spice routes from the East. In Cyberworld however, the people were so paranoid about the evil forces of magic that the amnesty that felines got in our world at that time did not happen. The rats too, were blamed for a disease that brought Europe to the brink of depopulation.

When coupled with the Inquisition, which served the dual purpose of finding both heretics and magicians,

this hatred of magic flourished from this momentum well into the 17th Century.

A lot of history flowed without the anti-magic taint. The Age of Exploration began during the Renaissance, just as it did here, though in Cyberworld, it was hailed as the true rebirth of a humanity that had been driven to the brink of extinction. Soon, the great powers of the times had established colonies in the newly discovered lands.

Although it lost much of its fervor as the 18th Century progressed, the United States was initially founded as much as a haven for mages as it was a shelter for those seeking freedom from religious persecution. As the Industrial Revolution progressed, scientists celebrated their triumph over magic. Those who practiced the magical arts were forced underground, and secret societies began to form. The triumph of science continued through the 1940s.

The rise of Germany through the late 1920s and most of the 1930s brought about a second world war. the Nazis of Cyberworld were just as psychopathic and dysfunctional as they were in our past, but in some cases, the motives for some of their atrocities was different. One of the secret programs carried out by the Germans was the extermination of large portions of the captive populations of the areas they overran. One of the tests conducted on the victims of these policies was a test to detect mage abilities.

The Western powers discovered this, and yet another reason was found to hate and despise mages, who were not seen as victims of the Nazis, but as potential weapons.

The Cold War was a struggle of science against magery as much as it was a struggle between the two superpowers. Both sides used covert mages to compromise the security of the other. One of the conspiracy theories of the time was one that said that a mage killed John F. Kennedy from the grassy knoll, then used magery to mask his presence. Later, the deaths of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy were unofficially blamed on mages.

In 1969, the Apollo missions began. One of these missions made an orbit around the moon and discovered the ruins of a lost civilization. These findings were never disclosed to the general public.

Within this atmosphere of secrecy, the Luna Foundation was formed. It had international jurisdiction, and its mission was to track down and eliminate all traces of magery. By 1985, the Board of Directors of the Luna Foundation would include the CEOs of the top six computer or technology companies of the world.

The Luna Foundation bought the space shuttle Atlantis and used it to explore the lunar ruins. They found a treasure trove of technology…which they immediately started using in their primary mission. By 1990, all of the satellites in orbit had been modified with "Lucifer Chips", which scanned people for traces of magical energy. Microchips were implanted deep within the tissues of people during surgery to further enhance this search.

In 1992, the barriers between Cyberworld and our dimension weakened enough for a ship to cross over. That scout recorded events of that time and recorded them for evaluation at a later date. Of the items recorded, few were more remarkable than the battles of the Sailors against the forces of the Negaverse.

In late 1992, a young computer student, Naoko Takeuchi, broke into the Foundation's database and discovered the information on Earth. The information on the Sailors became the basis for a comic that was circulated through the underground economy. The series was entitled: 'Beautiful Savior Sailor Moon.'

Unfortunately, Naoko was soon caught by the authorities and charged with treason and crimes against humanity. She was executed.

The Luna Foundation decided to use the information it had from our universe to develop its ultimate weapon in the fight against magic. They kidnapped all of the girls who matched the biotype of the Sailors and had them cloned. The clones were then used to design cybernetic soldiers who would act as the supreme weapon in law enforcement when it came to mages and magical energies. The majority of the powers of our elder Sailors were copied and given to each of the Cyberscouts.

The primary mission of the Cyberscouts is to hunt down and destroy magical items and the people who use them."

"Is that what they were doing here?" Melissa asked as the video recording faded and the lights of the throne room brightened. 

"According to the records we discovered from Cybermercury," Oren replied. "Cybermoon, Cybervenus, Cybermercury, and Cybermars were all sent to track down a magical artifact called the Orb of Continuity. Our observatory tracked it into the mountains of Nepal."

"What does this Orb do?" Cass inquired. 

"I am not sure," Oren said. "Cybermercury didn't have any information on that."

"It makes no difference," Sandra said. "These people almost make the Nageverse look like a bunch of Sunday-school children. If they want the Orb, we have to be sure they don't get it."

**== * SM *==**

Drabesh Palace

The Dark Moon of the Negaverse

A solitary female cyborg silently drifted down the hallways of the castle, shifting from on shadow to the next. Only a pale light from the lamps mounted along the hallway illuminated the black translucent floor, and the pale marble-like walls. 

Cybermoon used its eye scope and scanned the vicinity for life signs. It had been summoned, and curiosity overwhelmed anger or self-preservation. The cyborg had to know who had summoned it, and why. The answers to these questions were behind the next door, according to its readings.

The doors that the cyborg approached looked like they were constructed from heavy oak; their dark color and smooth texture seemed to melt into the rafters of the hallway. The light was very dim near these doors. The nearest lamps were some distance off…as though the occupants of the castle were hiding something behind these doors…

If a human stood before these doors, in this darkness, some reconsidering might have occurred. This was after all, a door deep in the heart of a castle in the Negaverse, and obviously whoever inhabited this castle would not be pleased at intrusions into inner sanctums or vaults or whatever might be behind these doors.

Cybermoon was not quite human however, and was not affected by what it would certainly consider to be the human flaws of uncertainty and fear. Someone had kidnapped a law enforcement officer, and the rule of law required that a response be made.

The doors parted, and the lone figure entered into a dimly lit room. Light filtered down from chandeliers high above. The floor was carpeted with a short-fiber royal blue carpeting that made the throne dais appear as if it was floating upon a deep blue ocean. Thick Greek columns were spaced evenly along both walls and they looked as though they could hold the weight of a world. Similar columns flanked the throne.

The throne itself was large and made out of back crystal fragments that had been melded together and burnished to a smooth translucent appearance. The back of the throne was encrusted with diamonds that shimmered out from the murky depths of the throne. 

Two small fire pits had been constructed in front, but slightly to the side of the throne. The bluish hue of the fires cast a pall over the throne, and the diamonds glistened like pale stars.

A voice boomed from the shadows. "I am glad to see that you could join me," Scaramanga said as he appeared in front of his throne. He smirked at his own joke.

All business, Cybermoon stepped forward and asked, "Are you responsible for bringing me here?"

Scaramanga descended the squat steps in front of the throne dais and sauntered toward Cybermoon. "I channeled the energy used in that parlor trick," he said, " so I guess the answer to your question is 'Yes'"

Hearing this, Cybermoon raised her left arm toward the villain, the metal barrel of the gun implant gleaming. "Demonstrations of magic or sorcery are forbidden by law." The cyborg stated bluntly. "You are engaging in illegal activities and will submit to our authority. You will not resist."

What happened next took place in the space of a little over a second. Scaramanga, seeing that the cyborg was about to fire, raised his hand and shouted "ZAI". The shell from Cybermoon's gun was evaporated by the energy pulse that erupted from its target. The pulse slammed into the cyborg and shorted out most of its circuits with an electrical sizzle.

Cybermoon had been made well, and while the energy from the villainous mage had severely damaged it, it was still standing. A quick diagnostic confirmed: 12% functionality.

Scaramanga approached the stricken cyborg. "I assume you will be more cooperative now…" he said, only to be interrupted with: "Resisting arrest and assaulting a law enforcement officer are criminal acts

punishable by death. Preparing witness transcript for transmission preparatory to carrying out the death

sentence…." 

"…or not…" Scaramanga muttered as he backhanded the battered cyborg who collapsed to the floor in a heap. He immediately wrung his hand from the pain of hitting Cybermoon's face.

The Lord of the Negaverse stood over Cybermoon and looked down at it. Then he ran his foot over a portion of the carpet where acrid smoke still rose from where his energy had scorched it.

"That's going to be tough to get out…" He said under his breath.

Aboard Cybermoon's ship, an obscure screen in the control room lit up and began displaying information…

Unit Cybermoon inactive … presumed non-functional

Activating antenna 2a for transmission of mission data and outcome to

Operational center

**== * SM *==**

Cybermoon awakened to the sight of Scaramanga holding a scanning device over her. When the villain noticed that the cyborg was conscious, he smiled. "You will be happy to know that you are an anatomically correct replica of a human being, give or take a few 'enhancements'" He laughed at his own joke.

When Cybermoon remained silent, the villain frowned. "Aren't you going to thank me?"

"For what?" The cyborg queried.

"I repaired you," came the reply. "Surely that is worth some gratitude."

Cybermoon ignored the remark and continued. "How long was I inactive?"

"Four days, six hours, 27 minutes, 37 seconds…shall I go on?"

"How was I repaired?" Cybermoon asked. "My systems are quite complex."

"That they are, my dear," Scaramanga said proudly. "However, you can do a lot when you use magic."

Moments before, Cybermoon had attempted to arise from the table upon which she laid, but discovered her movement blocked by rather thick metal restraints. Still, protocol demanded: "Demonstrations of magic or sorcery are forbidden by law. You are engaging in illegal activities and will submit to our authority. You will not resist."

"You know," Scaramanga muttered as he walked toward the head of the table, "I am REALLY getting tired of hearing that." He slammed his hand onto the table mere inches from her head. "Let's get something straight," he yelled. "You are in the Negaverse!" As long as you are here, you will do as I say, or I will be using your head for a salad bowl! Do I make myself clear?"

Self-preservation had not been programmed out of the Cybersailors. "Yes," Cybermoon replied. "You have made yourself clear."

"Good!" Scaramanga said with a jovial smile. "Besides, I think we can help each other."

"How?"

"In the past month, two things have happened on Earth which caught my attention." Scaramanga stated. "The first was your appearance, and the second was the rather short-lived and disappointing career of the villain formerly known as Malik. Both of you have had encounters with the Sailors, and you were the one who came away unscathed."

"While I was repairing you, I came across some interesting information about your current mission. I believe I can siphon the energy from this Orb that you are seeking, and you can take the remains back to your world as proof of its destruction."

With a huge grin on his face, Scaramanga finished. "What do ya say," he said. "Deal?"

The cyborg nodded its agreement.

**== * SM *==**

From SX6…

The orb streaked away from its pursuer and slipped into Earth's atmosphere over the Mexican state of Veracruz. As it descended, the orb took on a halo of fire from the friction…it fell toward the blue of the Pacific Ocean, then somehow leveled its descent and screamed across the ocean at an almost unimaginable speed.

Three minutes later, the orb ripped across Japan, its shock wave obliterating everything for miles around. Having cut a swath across the southern end of the islands, the orb slashed into Asia. As it traveled it actually gained speed…

The primitive buildings that proliferated throughout the interior of China were no match for this fiery "demon". Thatch hovels were ripped to shards and blown at deadly speed in the wake of the orb, and yet it continued to travel faster…

The orb left China and entered the mountainous regions of Nepal at several times the speed of sound. It slammed into a mountain, shattering it. The rubble cascaded down and buried the orb deep within meters of heavy rock…

…light spewed from the Orb and its magic quickly carved out a large cavern. The snow and ice that had fallen into the mountain when the Orb impacted melted and the water streamed into a pool which surrounded a patch of rock under the Orb which was floating in the middle of the cavern.

The light from the Orb flashed red and scoured the new walls, solidifying them. The light then poured down from the Orb to the rocks below and molded a chalice-like holder for the Orb, which slowly floated down and settled into its new resting place…

**== * SM *==**

Shuttle Pad 2

The Luna Foundation

"So," Melissa said as she boarded the shuttle along with Sandra, Brandy, and Mariah. "This Orb that Cyberworld is after, what does it do?"

Dr. Oren stepped aboard last and pulled the shuttle door closed. "Outside of being a powerful magical artifact, this particular Orb exerts control over the others." He paused. "Cyberworld has not recovered any of the Orbs."

"And I don't like the idea of them getting their hands on this one," Sandra replied. "There's too much we don't know about them." 

Sandra nodded to Mariah, and the shuttle lifted off from its pad and silently shot away toward Earth…

**== * SM *==**

The Mountains of Nepal

"Ah yes," Scaramanga said, his face glowing with the light of the Orb which sat in its holder.

"The Orb of Continuity," Cybermoon said quietly as if the radiance of the Orb was awe-inspiring, even to it.

"And it's ours..." Scaramanga replied. He reached out for it and found the cyborg's gun pointed at it.

"Excuse me," he said. "You can blast it to bits after I have absorbed its energy, not before..."

"The Orb of Continuity is a magical artifact, and must be destroyed," Cybermoon growled and centered her gun on the Orb.

With a sigh, Scaramanga reached to his belt and pressed a button hidden there. Cybermoon froze as an electrical charge jolted through it. The villain turned to the cyborg and said, "That charge will last for twenty seconds. I'd suggest you use that time to reacquaint yourself with our deal. If you back out, I'll make sure you never function again."

Scaramanga reached over to pick up the Orb, looking over toward the pursuit ship, which was sitting patiently in a tunnel that had been carved with the onboard lasers. Suddenly a voice rang out from behind him.

"And now for today's weather…mostly cloudy with a good chance for moondust!"

"Ah yes," Scaramanga growled turning toward this new intrusion. "More interruptions!"

"I am Sailor Moon," the lady-warrior said calmly, "I don't know what you plan to do with that Orb, but we're here to stop you. In the name of the Moon, I will punish you!"

"And I will punish you in the name of the planet Venus!"

"And I for the planet Neptune!"

Sailor Jupiter never got the chance to chime in because Scaramanga chose that opportunity to attack. Darkforce bolts slammed into the roof of the cavern near where the Scouts stood. Rock and dust spilled down into the tunnel that the Sailors had used to enter the chamber. More darkforce bolts spilled more debris and soon the tunnel was completely plugged.

"Are you okay?" Sailor Moon asked Sailor Jupiter as she and the rest worked to remove the rubble that had caught Sailor Jupiter's leg.

"Yes," Jupiter replied with a chuckle. "I'm almost more ticked that I didn't get to tell that jerk I was going to punish him."

"You'll get your chance," Neptune said.

Sailor Moon nodded her agreement as the last of the rock was removed from atop Jupiter's leg. "Can you walk?" She asked.

Jupiter stood up and tested her leg. "Yep," she replied.

"Good," Sailor Moon replied. "Did you get a good look at that cavern? Can you get us to the other side?"

"Yes," Jupiter replied. The Sailors joined hands and Sailor Jupiter shouted "JUPITER TELEPORTATION MAGIC!" The Sailors faded into nothingness under the power of Jupiter's magic…

…and reappeared in front of Scaramanga as he was carrying the Orb across the stone catwalk spanning the space between the ledge where the pursuit ship sat and the platform where the Orb had sat.

"We don't like being interrupted," Sailor Moon growled.

"Neither do I," the villain replied as he blasted more darkforce bolts at the Sailors, who retreated back to the ledge. This gave Scaramanga and Cybermoon enough space to get to the pursuit ship.

Battered under the barrage of darkforce, Sailor Venus gritted her teeth and muttered, "VENUS … LOVE CHAIN…. ENCRICLE!"

The bright energy bolt released by the Sailor bounced down from her and skittered along the floor toward the door of the pursuit ship. Once the bolt found its target, it pulverized the door, fusing it with the hull of the ship.

Sailor Moon stood up as the darkforce attack subsided. "You're not getting out that way," she said.

"You're not leaving at all, Sailor Moon!" Scaramanga shouted. "I'm sure you know my friend!" With that, he stepped aside to reveal Cybermoon who fired a pulse of energy at the Sailors, hitting Sailor Neptune, who was dropped to a knee.

"MOON STAFF!" Sailor Moon shouted as she started to rush toward the villain. The artifact glowed a dull yellow as it appeared in her hands. She wielded the staff like a bat and charged toward Scaramanga. 

Cybermoon saw this and stepped forward. As Sailor Moon approached, the cyborg slammed the barrel of its gun heavily into her shoulder with an audible smashing of bones. Waves of white-hot pain roared through Sailor Moon and she tried unsuccessfully to stifle her scream. She fell to the ground and the staff spun harmlessly away. Only a small outcropping of rocks prevented the staff from rolling off the edge of the precipice.

"Sailor Moon!" Venus shouted.

"She's out!" Scaramanga yelled. "And the rest of you will be joining her!" With that, he released another darkforce attack. 

The Sailors stood their ground under the darkforce assault. Venus looked toward the others. "You keep them occupied," she ordered. "I'll get Sailor Moon."

The other Sailors worked quickly. "JUPITER THUNDER CRASH!" Sailor Jupiter yelled, and a shrieking whirl of lighting surged forth to envelop Scaramanga. Sailor Neptune meanwhile unleashed a DEEP SUBMERGE attack on Cybermoon. Neither of these attacks did much damage, but they bought Sailor Venus enough time to get to her fallen leader.

Spotting the shoulder damage immediately, Sailor Venus put a hand on Sailor Moon's stomach and nudged her gently. "Sailor Moon," she said with a mix of hope and concern. The only response she got was a whispered, "Moon ….zero…" before Sailor Moon faded back into unconsciousness.

Meanwhile Scaramanga had pinned Jupiter to the wall of the cavern with a sustained darkforce attack, and Cybermoon shot two more energy pulses from her arm rifle that pounded Sailor Neptune and drove

her to the ground. 

"This can't be!" Venus shouted within herself. "We are about to be defeated, and Scaramanga will get away with the Orb and do who-knows-what with it!" She felt a wave of anger welling up inside her. "With Sailor Moon and the Moon Staff, we might pull this off, but without her…" She glanced at the Moon Staff. While she could use the Moon Wand and call upon its powers if Sailor Moon was incapable of doing so, the Moon Staff was possibly another story altogether. Besides, in both cases, Sailor Moon would have to consent to the use of the artifacts.

At that point, a bolt from Cybermoon blasted Venus away from the prone form of Sailor Moon as Scaramanga continued to gloat. "Hah! With this victory, I will be that much closer to ruling this universe and making the dreams of the Negaverse come true!"

The pain of the energy bolt coursing through Sailor Venus only added to the anger building inside her. She fought the pain of the cyborg's blast and slowly got to her feet. Once she was standing, Sailor Venus let out a fierce yell as she threw her arms straight out from her body, then shouted "VENUS CRUCIS MAGIC!" A dull-yellow glow in the shape of a crucifix appeared within the form that was Sailor Venus. As she held her arms steady and her hair waved around her head, the cross seemed to glower angrily. Suddenly, it shot out from Sailor Venus in a spiral and went directly toward Cybermoon. The cyborg tried shooting at the incoming attack, to no avail. Too late, Cybermoon turned and tried to run away. The glowing crucible hit the cyborg and waves of energy coursed over it, fusing components and melting circuitry. Wisps of white smoke snaked from its eyes and it opened its mouth as if to say something. Before it could utter a word, it expired and fell to the floor.

An evil laugh erupted from the lone remaining villain. "Well, thank you Sailor Venus," Scaramanga said. "You have just relieved me of a rather annoying partner and an agreement that I would have probably have had to break anyway." He paused as if sensing the moment. "It's almost enough to make me want to spare you…" With that, he raised his free hand toward Sailor Venus, "…but not quite!"

The darkforce bolt slammed into Sailor Venus' left shoulder and she dropped in a heap to the ground, weakened by her expenditure of energy. She barely had the strength to look up toward the villain, but when she did, she saw that another energy bolt was forming in his hand…and in her weakened state, survival was questionable.

"I have had enough of you!" came a scream from somewhere off to Venus' left. Apparently, Sailor Jupiter had also been conserving her energy during the attacks thrown on her, and now she was ready to wade back into the battle and take names in a big way.

"JUPITER GRAVITON POWER!" A pulse of gravity blasted out from Jupiter, rippling along the walls of the cavern menacingly. The cone of gravitic energy expanded slowly as it went until the ground around Scaramanga was shaking violently. Cracks formed under the torture of the Sailor's attack as Scaramanga lost his footing and fell. The Orb remained floating in the air, the gravitic waves seemingly harmless to it.

The gravity pulse shredded the far end of the ledge and ripped pieces of hull from the pursuit ship. Scaramanga gave a frightened yell as the ledge fell out from beneath him, then suddenly the villain, the pursuit ship, and a good portion of the far side of what remained of the ledge collapsed into the bottom of the cavern.

Fighting through the dust that all of that moving debris had caused, Sailor Jupiter rushed to Sailor Venus. "Get the others," Jupiter said as she looked worriedly at the walls. "I think that attack may have messed up the entire area." Sailor Venus nodded and went to retrieve Sailor Moon and the Moon Staff. As she picked up the limp form of her close friend, Sailor Venus saw the pale glow of the Orb. It pulsed gently, as if it were pleading, "Take me with you…" With a quick nod, Venus hoisted herself to he feet with Sailor Moon over her left shoulder. She grabbed the Orb with her other hand and hurried to where Jupiter stood with Sailor Neptune draped over her shoulder. 

The nearby rumbling confirmed Jupiter's prediction. "It's time for us to be leaving," Venus murmured. Jupiter nodded her agreement, then shouted, "JUPITER TELEPORTATION POWER!" 

The Sailors vanished as the first rocks began to fall on the ledge.

**== * SM *==**

Sailor Venus came into the cockpit of the shuttle after seeing that her friends were comfortably tucked into the beds in the shuttle's rear compartment. Dr. Oren contented himself in the mid compartment by examining the Orb, which had to be coaxed away from Sailor Venus.

"I think it likes you," Jupiter said as she piloted the shuttle away from the shattered mountain.

"I guess so," Venus replied thoughtfully. Jupiter heard an unspoken question in her friends' voice. 

"What's bothering you?" She asked.

"I was just wondering if Scaramanga survived that fall," Venus replied.

"Well," Jupiter said as she put the shuttle into a slow and steady climb that would take them out of the atmosphere, "That was a lot of rock and metal that landed on him…and there was even more after we left." Jupiter paused for a moment. "I'd say it is not likely, but I wouldn't bet on that either."

"Me either," Venus replied.

The shuttle flew off toward the silvery-white disk that the Sailors called home.

**== * SM *==**

# EPILOGUE

# The Return of Tuxedo Mask

"_For I'm no hero … though I wish I could be…"_

- KISS, "Just a Boy" (Music from the Elder, 1981)

Noruma District

Yotochib Megacity

Sailor Mercury quickly surveyed the area from the top of a sullen-looking building through the VR goggles. The device was set to scan the infrared spectrum, so the majority if the buildings and whatever was inside them, and whatever objects happened to be cluttered around them in a deep blue. The goggles compensated for the sunlight, so even areas in the direct path of the sun's rays appeared as merely a slightly lighter shade of dark blue.

Mercury grinned in satisfaction. Luna and Artemis had found her in the training room fighting with a holographic projection of Zoycite, evil laugh and all. That wasn't what had attracted the ire of the feline guardians. The fact that Mercury had disabled the protocols that the central computer used to ensure that no serious harm came to someone who was using the training room had caused both cats to figuratively "hit the roof".

So Mercury had boarded a shuttle to Earth. Once there, she figured, she could train, engage in her hobby of bashing druggies, and test out the capabilities of her new and improved VR equipment. She made a mental note to thank Amy for the work.

Satisfied that all was well on this particular block, Sailor Mercury stood and surveyed the next building over. She backed up slightly, got a running start, and leaped off the building. Her arms out from her body, she quickly tucked herself into a flip. The street whirled by quickly, then she was standing on solid ground looking back at the building she had just came from. 

"Perfect!" She thought as she reactivated her goggles and started surveying the nearby buildings. "The crowd goes wild…"

Mercury got to the far corner of the building and was about finished scanning the area when she noticed a group of heat sources that looked suspicious. Checking the computer, she saw that the heat sources were in a long alleyway that ended in a cul-de-sac. While the first two buildings flanking the alley were two stories or higher, the ones surrounding the cul-de-sac were all one story. Some sort of metal plating formed an awning of sorts that covered the last few feet of the alley.

Then Sailor Mercury frowned when the words: "Incomplete Scan. Jamming Signal Detected."

"Well," Mercury said aloud to herself, "nothing proves guilt in my book like a big electronic 'Keep Out' sign." She quickly and quietly jumped down to the street 

Entering the alley, Sailor Mercury was surprised at how little light filtered down, even up ahead where the buildings were shorter. "_THAT's why they have that metal covering," she thought. She had just reminded herself to move silently when her foot tapped an aluminum can and set it rolling noisily to a nearby garbage can, where it collided with a loud TING!_

"Doh!" Mercury shouted to herself.

"Well," a voice hissed from the darkness ahead. "What have we got here?"

"A pretty new customer?" Another voice asked.

"Or someone who will be very sorry she found us…"

"Neither," Mercury said angrily. "You deal in things which destroy the lives of everyone they touch. I'm here to stop you!"

A nearly collective "Oh yeah?" arose from the darkness as about ten nasty-looking forms emerged from the shadows. Mercury heard shuffling above her and looked up at the roof. More druggies scowled down at her.

"Damn it Merc," she said to herself. "I hate it when this happens. She backed up until she got enough distance, then: "MERCURY ICE WALL!" A freezing mist erupted from her and poured into the space between the buildings. When it was done, the mist had solidified into a wall of ice that cut off their escape from the alley. That was, until a HUGE thug with a mean looking bald head and wearing nothing but jeans and shoes started ramming himself into it

Mercury turned and started to leave, but she saw that her escape route was cut off by druggies who were climbing down to the ground using the nearby telephone poles.

"MERCURY SHARD!" Once the ice shard formed, Mercury threw it and dropped one thug, but she realized that neither her shard or javelin attacks would take out more than one of the druggies each, and while it might be desirable to kill them all, she did not have enough control over her death dome to use it effectively in this case. 

On his third attempt, the huge thug shattered the ice wall, and the gang of thugs came through the remains of the barrier. Sailor Mercury attempted to fight her way out of the situation, but it was no use. While her metal hand added several broken bones to the list of tortures these thugs had done to themselves, there were simply too many of them. In the end, she found herself pinned to the ground, with thugs at each shoulder, each arm, and atop her legs. 

"Let's see," the huge thug said calmly…he appeared to be the leader. "The question we asked was, are you a pretty new customer, or someone who will be very sorry she found us…" With that, he knelt down near Mercury's head and opened his fist so she could see its contents…five gelcaps filled with a deep blue liquid.

"…or how about C, all of the above?"

"Skye…" Mercury muttered.

"Yep," the druggie replied. "And with chem labs all over the district pumping this stuff out, I can sell to school kids for about as much as their lunch."

"You're sick!" Mercury shouted.

"Nope," the druggie said. "I am a rich bastard, which is why I can afford to sell to kids…."

Reaching to a bottle in his coat pocket, the druggie growled, "Now for your sample… " With that, he poured the contents of the bottle into his hand. When he was done, about twenty gelcaps glistened darkly in his hand.

"Do you know what this much Skye will do to you?" The druggie asked. When he got no answer, he continued, "It will burn out your entire nervous system. You'll feel like you are on fire…for a very long time… Then when the brain is screwed up enough, you'll die…"

"Don't…" Mercury muttered.

"Well, you should have thought of that before you came down here," the thug said simply as he forced the first gelcap into her mouth. He then smacked her across the face with such force that she gasped…and swallowed the gelcap.

"See," the druggie said. "That wasn't so bad."

Sailor Mercury frantically tried to think of a way out of this mess, but no options appeared. She was outnumbered, pinned to the ground by a bunch of thugs who were already too close for comfort. She hated to think what they would do to her while she was delirious. One man was already dangerously close to her skirt, leering at her...

The leader removed another gelcap from his hand and placed it in Mercury's mouth and prepared to slap her again when she heard something hit the ground nearby with a crash and a tremendous flash of light. People screamed in pain and dropped to the ground pawing at their faces. Sailor Mercury was overloaded by the flash and lost consciousness….

A gentle buzzing noise brought Mercury back to consciousness. When she opened her eyes, a man wearing a top hat, a mask, a black tuxedo and a cape was knelt over her with a concerned look on his face. "Good," he said gently. "You're awake. There's only so much I can do without touching you, and I didn't want to do anything without your permission."

A glimmer of recognition flashed through Sailor Mercury. "King Endymion?"

"You kept saying 'Endymion' while you were out," the man said. "I am not him. I am merely a medical and engineering student who has gotten a little too bored with life at the university."

"But you're Tuxedo Mask!"

"Yes, I am," Tuxedo Mask said simply. He reached over and pulled a small device from Mercury's forehead. It stopped its whirring. Mercury recognized the device from having hung around Amy as being a neural stimulator.

"I remember the stories of the Sailors and Tuxedo Mask from a while ago. I remembered how they were always companions in their battles against the Negaverse…"

"Most of the time," Mercury corrected.

"Tuxedo Mask smiled. "Yes…most of the time. Anyway, I decided that I wanted to help the Sailors, especially after I learned that they still existed."

"How did you find this out?"  
"Some of the battles the Sailors have been in haven't exactly been where no one could see them. I was at Dreamland on the night that the Sailors had a battle there. Once I saw that, I knew that I could help, even if it is in a small way…"

"Do you have magic?" Mercury asked.

"Nope," Tuxedo Mask replied. "Everything I do is designed, built, and tested by yours truly. There is nothing magical about me."

"So," Mercury said as she stood up. "How am I?"

"Nothing too major in the bumps and bruises department," came the response. "If you are going to leave, I would do so before the effects of Skye begins. I was able to keep you from swallowing the second caplet, but there is nothing I can do about the first. Luckily, one caplet is not dangerous if no others are taken within twelve hours."

"I won't be going near the stuff," Mercury said with a smile.

"May I ask you a favor?"

"Sure."

"Next time you come down here, can you call me," Tuxedo Mask said, handing Mercury a card. "The pushers around here have started gathering in bigger groups since you and the police started this anti-drug crusade. Its no longer safe to go after these people by yourself, as you can tell now…"

Mercury thought about it momentarily. A partner…. and a cute one at that…

"Sounds good," she said.

"Excellent," he said. "Now I must go." Tuxedo Mask took Sailor Mercury's hand and kissed it gently. "Until we meet again." With that, he vanished.

As the sun began to set over the mountains to the west, Mercury made her way toward the starport, where she would catch the evening shuttle home.

FINI

# Fanfic ã1999 – John Brengman and Artemis Publishing

Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, 

ã 1992 by Toei Animation Co Ltd. and based on Kodansha's

manga production of "Sailor Moon", written by Naoko Takeuchi

This fanfic is freely distributed. Release date: February 16, 1999

Release: 3rd Edition. Released on: January 22, 2001


	11. SX#11 - The A-B Conundrum

Sailor X #11The A-B Conundrum

By: John Brengman

Edited by: Thomas Schell

# PROLOGUE

"It doesn't matter what you do, Mercury," Zoycite hissed through clenched teeth as she hovered above

the ground. "I've got your boyfriend and there's nothing you can do about it! He's on my side, now

that I have the rainbow crystal he carried!" Below the villain, a young man tried to get to his feet, but the

energy released from the crystal was already coursing through him, about to transform him into something

else…

With an evil grin, Zoycite winked. A sharp crystal shard nosed up from within the asphalt surface of the

street.

"I'll leave you two here to play." Zoycite chortled, then let out one of her trademark shrill laughs as she

turned to vanish….

…the crystal shard launched itself at the back of Sailor Mercury…

…who dropped out of its way….

"MERCURY SHARD!" 

The smooth shard of primal ice materialized in Sailor Mercury's metal hand. She quickly flung

the projectile in Zoycite's general direction….

…and it ricocheted off Zoycite's crystal, shattering it and continuing on target…

The shard thrown by the lone Sailor slammed into Zoycite as she opened the portal to the Negaverse. Her

laugh of victory changed to a shrill cry of agony. She managed to stumble into the portal, but she would

never make it back to the Negaverse alive.

Sailor Mercury watched calmly as the portal closed. "Artemis," she said to the computer, "restart program, speed index four."

Again, Mercury dodged the projectile that was supposed to be her doom and caught Zoycite with

her ice shard before the villain could make good her escape.

"Artemis, restart program, speed index eight."

The ice shard caught Zoycite in the leg, shearing it from her body.

"Artemis, restart program, speed index twelve."

The ice shard pulverized Zoycite's foot. Mercury had to restrain a laugh…the villain sounded like one of the Chipmunks.

"Artemis, restart program, speed index sixteen."

This time, Sailor Mercury missed.

Sandra glanced at Luna and Doctor Oren with great concern. "Why are we letting her do this? She has disabled the safeties, and no one ever sets the speed above eight."

"Yeah," Artemis muttered from his perch atop the training room's computer server. "And the computer seems to take great pleasure in cleaning your carcasses once you get past index four." He purred contentedly to himself after this barb.

Luna ignored her fellow feline and pulled her gaze from the action on the training room floor to gaze at Sandra. "Are you really worried about her," she asked, "or are you worried that she might be outdoing you?"

Sandra fixed Luna with an angry glare. "As if!" She shouted as she walked to the window overlooking the training room. "You know as well as I do that Rachel's powers come from the Negaverse."

"That's not quite true," Dr. Oren interjected. Seeing Sandra and Luna's faces, he went on. 

"It has been several weeks since the fire at the palace," he said. "In that time, I have almost every move Rachel has made. I have also examined the sensor footage of that dome she created, and I have examined the readings we received from the braintaping sessions." Sandra winced as she remembered those sessions.

"What we have discovered is that some part of Queen Beryl is inhabiting Rachel's subconscious mind," the doctor said. 

"I could have told you that," Sandra growled. "You got that from my mind."

"Yes," Oren replied as he activated a wall monitor. "However, scans of Mercury's dome have revealed several of its properties." Mercury appeared on the screen, standing within the blasted ruins of the palace. As Sandra and the others watched, Mercury activated her Eternal power and the deadly dome appeared and started to expand.

"Freeze," Oren ordered. The monitor froze the picture. Oren had the computer reverse the display until just before the dome was activated.

"Zoom in on frame 65 by 32," Oren ordered. A square on the monitor appeared around Mercury's face. The picture blurred for an instant then refocused, with the area of the square now filling the entire screen.

"What do you see?" Oren asked.

"Mercury's face," Sandra said dryly.

"Yes," Oren replied patiently, "but what about it."

"She's confused," Luna stated.

"Exactly!" Oren exclaimed. "As if she is wondering where she is, or perhaps she forgot something. Computer, display sensor log number 087590 on the information bar." A display lit up along the bottom of the screen. The display was in the form of a line graph with a dark red line. 

"This is a composite sensor log from the shuttles in the area," Oren said. "Computer link display with the information bar using the time indexes of both files." A reply flashed across the screen: "Task completed."

"Run display," Oren ordered. "Keep the sensor log file at its present magnification."

As they watched, Sandra, the doctor, and the cat guardians saw Rachel land in the area northeast of what remained of the palace's dome and begin to prepare to launch her primal powers.. As the display went forward, a marker trailed across the line graph to point out where this particular moment was recorded in the sensor logs.

When Rachel began to appear confused, the red line on the sensor logs flattened into a nearly completely horizontal line.

Sandra asked the doctor to pause the display. "What does this mean?" She asked.

"The sensor reading we are looking at is of the negative energy in the area, specifically in the area right around Sailor Mercury. At this point, Sailor Mercury and the source of the negative energy, which I am assuming is Queen Beryl are stalemated. Then, in a few seconds, the negative energy will start to increase rapidly, and Mercury will start constructing her dome." Sure enough, as Oren resumed the display, the red line on the graph started to rise at a steep rate. On the screen, Mercury started singing the notes that would bring her power surging forth….then she held it and the dome coalesced around her.

"I believe that that music is some sort of key, and Mercury can't activate that power without it," Oren said. "Given the amount of negative energy at the time of activation, I would say that while Mercury controls the actual power, only Queen Beryl can activate it."

"Is there any way we can take Beryl out of the picture?" Sandra asked.

"Unknown," Oren said. "However, the amount of energy in the dome itself makes me believe that if Mercury tried using that power by herself for any real length of time, the energy forces there would kill her."

Sandra was about to ask another question when the double-door entrance to the control room opened and Queen Serenity walked in. "Any further questions will have to wait," she said. "We have a problem."

"What have you found?" Luna asked, her ears perking up. Brandy trailed in behind Queen Serenity and quietly listened to the conversation.

"Prince Neflyte reported that a huge tremor shook his realm," Serenity said. "The readings he sent us look as though someone is trying to weaken the dimensional wall between Elysium and somewhere else."

"For what reason?" Sandra asked.

"I don't know," Serenity replied. "But Neflyte thinks it might be from the Negamoon, and since Elysium is simply a demiplane within our universe…"

"…anything that hits Elysium will hit us," Brandy said softly.

"Brandy," Sandra said. "Get the Scouts together and investigate this thing. I'd go too, but I haven't quite recovered from our last mission."

"Okay," Brandy replied as she touched a button on her wrist comm. "Sailors Mars, Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto, report to the Timegate." Brandy deactivated her comm and looked up at Queen Serenity.

"We'll get to the bottom of this," she said. "I promise."

**== * SM *==**

Lord Malachite dropped to the floor of the training room, his neck crushed. With a murmur of satisfaction, Mercury nudged the body with her foot.

"Artemis," Mercury said. "Restart the program."

Before the computer could restart the holograms, a voice rang out, "Is this where you learned to beat the hell out of drug dealers?"

Mercury turned and saw a thin, handsome man with a rogue-like shock of black hair. In his right hand, he carried a red rose.

"Leonard!" Mercury said surprised. "How did you get here?"

"I guess someone told them about our little adventures," Leonard said as he handed the rose he held to Sailor Mercury. "I was asked to come to the Foundation's offices in Tokyo. When I got there I was brought here, where I was offered membership in the Foundation and a knighthood."

"So," Mercury said, slowly fingering the rose, "do I have to call you 'Sir'?"

Leonard watched Sailor Mercury as she walked toward the hall leading to the shower room. "That's so archaic," he said. "Of course you don't have to call me that…" Motioning toward a silent Malachite who was hovering midway across the training room, Leonard inquired, "Aren't you going to do something about him?"

Mercury tossed a towel she had been wiping her face with in a nearby hamper. "You do it, Sir Leonard," she replied simply. "Computer, begin!"

Sensing that the participant on the floor of the training room had changed, the computer paused briefly to reset its parameters. Then Malachite's cape fluttered as he gave a haughty laugh. "So, you think you can beat me in single combat," he roared. "Well, come on, then!" Darkforce bolts leapt from the villain's hands and pounded the floor around Leonard, who seemed unmoved by the whole thing. 

Reaching into his coat, Leonard pulled a red rose and threw it toward the villain. It missed its mark, but Malachite was forced to duck out of the way as the flower sailed lazily by. By the time he saw the deception for what it was, a rather large round object lay at his feet. The orb was covered with small circle-shaped blisters…

Leonard meanwhile ran toward Sailor Mercury. With a shouted, "Get down!"

Right then, with a flash of light, the room was suddenly showered with a napalm-like substance that fell to the floor and continued to smolder.

"Enemy injured," the computer announced. "Capacity impaired by 45%. Enemy profile indicates retreat. Termination of program."

With a smile, Sailor Mercury turned to Leonard. "You sure know how to deal with those creeps."

"You weren't that bad yourself," Leonard said as he hugged her.

"Me?" She half-yelped. "That was nothing I don't normally do." She kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"And you do it so well," Leonard said as he pressed his body against hers. He bent his head down and kissed Sailor Mercury.

The duo tried to walk back to the shower room, but they soon collapsed in the middle of the hall…

**== * SM *==**

Drabesh Palace

The Dark Moon of the Negaverse

Five shapes drifted down the shadowy corridor outside the throne room. Pale light from the lamps mounted along the hallway illuminated the black translucent floor, and the pale marble-like walls. They approached the oaken double doors that led into the throne room, the seat of power for the forces of evil.

As the Sailors approached the door, they thought they had been undetected. That notion was proven false when a voice called out to them: "You may as well enter my throne room. I discovered your presence not long after you arrived on the Dark Moon."

"Damn," Sailor Venus muttered.

"There goes the element of surprise," Sailor Jupiter replied.

"Like that actually existed," Sailor Pluto thought.

"Keep an eye out for traps," Venus ordered. With that, the Sailors approached the doors and entered into the throne room of Scaramanga. The villain stood in front of his throne, his left hand extended over a jagged crystal. A bluish beam emanated from the crystal and arced to a swirling mass of light that seemed to infest part of the ceiling. Every so often, a bolt of intense light would float from the crystal along the band of light, to the pool of light, and when the light was caught in the pool, the entire room would shake.

None of this seemed to affect Scaramanga.

"Now that you're here," the villain said calmly as he leaned on a cane in his right hand. "Just what the Hell do you think you're doing at Drabesh Palace without an invitation?"

Venus was about to respond when Mars chimed in, "We're here to check out the mall!" Venus had to choke back a laugh. "We're the Sailors," she said. "You're the villain, and whatever you're doing, we're here to stop you."

"Oh really," Scaramanga replied with a smirk. "Don't you want to know what I want? You know…the Master Plan?"

"Not really," Sailor Neptune said as she stepped forward. "We just want to beat the Hell out of you, like we always seem to."

"Well, since you asked…I figured if I can't have the universe, neither can you. This device is designed to break down the barriers that separate various dimensions. My plan is rather simple, really. I'm in the process of putting a hole in the dimensional wall between this universe and an identical one…except that the other universe is composed of antimatter."

"You're not serious," Pluto gasped, realizing the full scope of this scheme. Billions of beings in both universes would cease to exist, and the vast majority of them would never know what hit them.

"Oh, but yes I am," Scaramanga replied. "In a few minutes, you will see just how serious I am."

"I think not," Pluto said with an eerie calm. "DEAD SCREAM"

Scaramanga bore the brunt of the attack, then grinned. "I've improved since the last time we met, ladies.

You never know when a little extra shielding will come in handy."

"Now," the villain said simply. "Here's a taste of MY medicine…"

Darkforce bolts slammed into Sailor Pluto just after she pulled a device from her uniform and activated it. The darkforce pounded into her, slamming her against one of the massive stone pillars. The jolt wrenched the small device away from her and sent it skittering off into the darkness…

…but the damage was already done. The energy ribbon hung motionless in the air. The swirling mass on the ceiling was stilled.

"What?" Scaramanga shouted with dismay. "No!"

"Yep!" Venus growled. "Time has been stopped, and it won't start until WE start it!"

"No!" Scaramanga shouted. "I won't let you beat me! DARK SCREAM!" A twisted version of Pluto's attack slammed into Sailor Mars, driving her to the floor. 

"JUPITER THUNDER CRASH!" The attack from Sailor Jupiter sliced across the room and scorched the villain, but he looked as though he barely felt it. Instead, he kept up the attack on her fellow Sailors.

Thinking he had the Sailors pounded into something resembling submission, Scaramanga crossed the room to where Sailor Pluto lay as she tried to regain her bearings. He grabbed her by the neck with one hand and hoisted her into the air.

"Turn that damn thing off!" He screamed.

"Ne..ver," Sailor Pluto gasped faintly.

With a howl of fury, Scaramanga flung the wounded Sailor. She hit the wall, the impact just above the shoulders, and dropped to the floor in a broken heap.

"VENUS WHIP!" Suddenly a bright yellow band of energy encircled the villain's neck. It quickly constricted and started to choke the life out of him. 

Scaramanga fell back away from the stone column toward his throne, his hands clutching at his neck. He backed his way up the stairs, trying to lure Venus in by making her follow him. The whip continued to wrap itself tighter, and he was running out of time.

Finally, Scaramanga managed to stumble backwards up the short stairs in front of his throne. He grabbed the whip line with his hands. Ignoring the pain that seared his hands as he touched the primal energies, Scaramanga shouted: "ZAI" and sent a darkforce bolt back along the whip. The evil energy swarmed over Venus and she howled in pain. 

Before the whip could deactivate, the villain ripped it forward, and Venus fell to the floor at the base of the stairs.

Stepping forward with a grim look on his face, Scaramanga pulled a gun from inside his jacket and aimed it

"Young fool," he murmured, "only now, at the end of your sorry existence, do you see the full extent of my power."

With sweat glistening on his face, his bright blue eyes glazed with a power-mad insanity. He pulled the gun up and aimed it at the head of the blonde Sailor. "Are you ready to die, young one?"

"MARS FIRE IGNITE!" The primal fire bathed Scaramanga in its hot red glow and he screamed in agony, dropping the gun just before it melted.

The eerie song of the violin rang out, then: "NEPTUNE VIOLIN TIDE" A bolt of energy blasted into Scaramanga, slamming him against his throne.

Then came a chorus of attack calls as "MARS CELESTIAL FIRE SURROUND" was followed by "DEEP SUBMERGE", then yet another "MARS FIRE IGNITE!" Between the two Sailors, they scorched Scaramanga's throne into slag, then pounded the slag into waterlogged rubble. The villain who laid draped over the throne fared only slightly better.

Finally, Sailor Jupiter stood and cleared her throat. 

"JUPITER GRAVITON POWER!"

A pulse of gravity rippled along the floor as it spread outward directly in front of Jupiter. The gravity forces ripped the marble-tiled floor apart and chunks of the heavy rock were showered against the walls. Sailor Venus managed to dodge one large slab of marble as it roared past her head.

"Can't you be a little more careful with that?" She shouted. Jupiter gave a quick shake of her head, the anger at the villain still swirling in her eyes. 

The graviton pulse shredded the stairs and enveloped the crystal that floated near the remains of the throne. Scaramanga had hauled his broken body to the top of the wreckage that had been his throne in time to see this.

"Nooo!" he shouted as the crystal pulsed once, then shattered. The swirling pool of energy near the ceiling sputtered angrily, then slowly scattered, fading as its remnants lost their cohesion.

Once the graviton wave had done its work, the Sailors approached Scaramanga.

"Your scheme is over," Venus muttered as she looked down at the villain. "And this time, we have a cell waiting for you on the moon."

"I don't think so," Scaramanga whispered as he pressed a button on his belt. Sailor Jupiter saw Scaramanga start to vanish and tried to grab him, but she was too late.

"Damn!" She shouted as she kicked a piece of the ruined throne where Scaramanga had been a few seconds before. "We have to go after him! In his condition, he can't go far!"

"We can't go far either," Sailor Neptune replied. "And our first duty is to our group." Jupiter stifled a gasp of dismay as Sailor Venus agreed with Neptune, but the issue was decided. Together, the Sailors went to help their injured comrade.

**== * SM *==**

The Luna Foundation

"So," Sandra inquired as she and Amy walked down the hallway outside the Medical Center. "You're saying Vanessa will be fine?"

"Yes," Amy replied. "She was quite lucky. She hit the wall at the base of her neck. Fortunately nothing was broken. On the bad side, there was some damage to the neck muscles, and her voice will be gone until some of that gets a chance to heal."

"We're just going down like flies around here…" Sandra muttered. "First the queen, then me, then Vanessa…not to mention all the problems we're having with Rachel…"

Amy stopped and turned toward Sandra. "Look," she said. "Brandy did a good job, and she brought everyone back. They gave Scaramanga something to think about, and I doubt we'll be seeing him again for a long time."

Sandra nodded as the two of them started walking down the hall again. The lights dimmed, and a nearby control panel went from the yellows and reds of daytime operations to the blues and greens of "night mode".

"I just can't help wondering what's going to come next…" Sandra said as the two women reached the stairway at the end of the hall. From here, Sandra would head down the stairs into the living quarters of the Sailors.

"…and I dread it." There was little Amy could do. "We'll do okay," she said, but she realized that her words could not comfort the young princess.

**== * SM *==**

Cyberworld 

The computer awakened as it sensed an incoming transmission. It processed the data contained within the comm signal, then issued the directives it was programmed to issue in circumstances such as these.

REBUILD OPERATIONS COMMENCING…

SUBJECT: UNIT CYBERMOON

UNIT CYBERMERCURY

UNIT CYBERVENUS

UNIT CYBERMARS

INCLUDE ALL INFORMATION GATHERED TO-DATE ON 

MAGE POWERS EXIBITED IN INITIAL CONTACT WITH

ENTITIES IN ALTERNATE DIMENSION.

INCLUDE ALL KNOWN CAUSES OF UNIT FAILURE.

PROCEED TO VERSION 2.0 OF ALL UNITS

FINI

# Fanfic ã1999 – John Brengman and Artemis Publishing

Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, 

ã 1992 by Toei Animation Co Ltd. and based on Kodansha's

manga production of "Sailor Moon", written by Naoko Takeuchi

This fanfic is freely distributed. Release date: March, 1999

Release: 3rd Edition – January 27, 2001


	12. SX#12 - Flight of the Serena

Sailor X #12Flight of the _Serena_

By: John Brengman

Edited by: Thomas Schell

Sandra stood within the void of space… Far in the distance, the sun could be seen. Looking around, she could see Earth hanging off to her right. Moonlight glimmered from behind her. Somehow, Sandra didn't get any comfort from this picturesque setting. There was something else…something cold…

A blue orb appeared in the distance. "That's about where the planet Mercury is," Sandra said as she gazed at the turquoise-colored sphere. Almost as that thought came into her mind, it was confirmed….she could sense death.

Sailor Mercury's death sphere…

The blue field of the sphere seemed to crawl outward and leap ahead of itself at the same time. Its outer edge licked at the fiery upper layers of the sun. Violent flashes of angry yellow and orange light flickered across the disk of the sun as energy from the solar orb was sucked away. Ribbons of energy were ripped away and drawn into the death sphere where they cascaded abut as bright blue and twisting shafts of light.

The sphere continued to expand. The sun was quickly losing its battle to remain stable, yet what should have been a cataclysmic explosion that would have ripped the solar system apart was instead the galactic version of a pitiful whimper as even the force and energy of supernova explosions was redirected nearly before they could occur. All of it ended up swirling around in the turquoise-blue pool.

The planets, now lit by a pale-blue glow, continued about in their orbits as though doing so was their only hope of escaping. The planet Venus stood no chance against the onslaught of the sphere. Once the destructive energies came in contact with the planet, they ripped through its surface like the planet was made of paper. The molten center of the planet cooled quickly when exposed to the icy depths of space…either that or it too joined the energy cascading through the sphere.

The destruction of Venus completed, the sphere continued its inexorable march, swelling out, reaching for the third planet of the doomed star system.

As the bluish hue penetrated Earth's atmosphere, it seemed as though a rock had been thrown into a pool. Sandra could see waves rippling out from where the sphere had made contact with the planet's upper atmosphere. As the deathly expansion of the luminous sphere continued, Sandra suddenly saw herself on the streets of the Yotichib megacity. Some miles away stood the Tokyo Tower. Mount Fuji stood vigilantly far to the southwest. All of this was lit by the pale blue glow of the death sphere. Suddenly, a deep blue haze appeared to the west and quickly descended to the city. The haze came toward Sandra, swallowing everything in a steady, even pace eastward. The Tokyo Tower toppled as the haze enveloped it. Just before the haze was about to reach her, Sandra looked to the southwest and saw Mount Fuji being torn asunder…

Sandra watched as Earth faded slowly into the ever-expanding sphere. She was about to turn her attention to the moon when a voice seemed to echo through her mind… "kill me…"

"Wha..?" Sandra gasped uncomprehendingly.

With a shimmer, a voice came from inside the death sphere, "Kill me…"

Sandra's unspoken "How?" was answered before she could voice it. She was in her Sailor uniform.

"Kill me!" The whispered voice demanded.

Even though she didn't quite understand what was going on, Sailor Moon pulled out the Crescent Moon Wand and shouted: "MOON HEALI…." The wand disappeared and the voice grew slightly louder: "Kill me!!"

Sailor Moon tried to remember the other command words to her more powerful attacks, but they fled from her mind. "What am I supposed to DO?" Looking up, she saw the sphere glisten as if it were inviting her inside… Slowly, Sailor Moon approached the glowing wall of the sphere which shimmered excitedly at her nearness. A momentary doubt was squelched by yet another insistant: "Kill me!!!"

As Sailor Moon stepped into the sphere, it lunged forward and swallowed her. She shivered as a fierce cold cut through the thin material of her Sailor uniform. "Why can't anything evil ever be warm and fuzzy?" She wondered silently as she started toward the center of the sphere.

Shimmering paths of light danced around Sailor Moon as she continued on her way. They seemed to arc about in a random fashion, and she had to duck out of the way of one of them.

As she walked, Sailor Moon saw an object fade into view ahead of her. She continued to approach. Soon she saw that the figure was a teenage girl with long black hair. She too wore a Sailor uniform, this one white with a blue skirt…

Sailor Mercury.

Sailor Moon came to a stop next to the unmoving form of her friend. She stood silently, her eyes were closed, and her head listed off to the right. She seemed to be asleep. Her neck seemed exposed and vulnerable.

"Now what?" Sailor Moon murmured aloud, only to be immediately answered with: "Kill me!!" She was about to ask how this was to be done, when she noticed Mercury's neck as though she had seen a vision. "Kill me!!" The whispered voices insisted.

"I can't!" Sailor Moon shouted. "She is my friend!" The voices only chanted their chorus louder.

"I won't!" But as Sailor Moon turned to walk away, she found that she could not move her feet in any direction except toward Sailor Mercury.

The voices chanted again. Sailor Moon reached out and slid her hands around Sailor Mercury's neck. She didn't put any pressure into her hands, hoping that the symbolism would be enough to satisfy whatever it was making her do this.

It wasn't. "Kill me!!"

She started to squeeze, but not hard…

"KILL ME!!"

Finally, she started putting some force behind her choke hold. Sailor Mercury seemed to stir… The voice again roared: "KILL ME!!"…

…"Sandra?"

"Sandra," Mariah said as she nudged her friend. Her gaze strayed to the nearby bedpost. "Sandra," she repeated as she nudged the sleeping form again.

Sandra's eyes flew open and she let out a gasp…and noticed that she was holding the bedpost in a death

grip. 

"Are you okay?" Mariah asked, the worry still evident in her face.

"Yes," Sandra said sleepily. "I just was having a dream."

"Must've been some dream," Mariah muttered as she crossed the room toward the door. "When you didn't show up on time at the docking area, we got worried. I'll see you down there." Mariah then left Sandra's room, closing the door behind her. 

Sandra began dressing, but as she chose various articles of clothing or put them on, her gaze flickered to the bedpost…. and she shivered as a slight feeling of unease drifted through her.

…kill me…****

Launch Pad Four – Subsurface Gantry7:00 am

The Luna Foundation

A large, somewhat flat triangle-shaped ship gleamed as it rested upon the gantry's support struts. A technician finished polishing a silvery hull panel. Other technicians stood near the aft end of the ship, staring up at the cylindrical engine nacelle anchored in its protective alcove, running through checklists in their heads, or tapping data into hand-held data pads.

Sandra entered the launch area and headed for the ship. As she passed one of the technicians who alternated from gazing at the ship's starboard wing and tapping information into a data pad, she asked, "How does it look?"

"Everything's looking real good, and we're right on schedule," the technician replied.

"Almost everything," Sandra silently corrected as she headed for the nearest turbo shaft. With a press of a button, Sandra activated the lift, and entered the ship.

Moments later, Sandra entered the bridge of the _Serena, the second of three faster-than-light-capable ships built by the Moon Kingdom during the Silver Millennium. As she neared the center of the ship's control center, Sandra looked around at the other crew positions, which were spread out in front of her. Helm and navigation controls sat diagonally off to her right and left respectively. Science stations and life support controls were situated along the right wall, while communications, engineering, and weapons controls were spaced out along the left. A viewscreen covered the wall across the room from the command chair, which was set on a dais slightly above the other stations. In this way, a person viewing the command center over the comm channel would only see the person in the command chair._

Sandra seated herself in the command chair and looked out over the bridge. Some of the elders had been asked if they wanted the opportunity to take the _Serena on its shakedown cruise. Haruka and Raye had volunteered, and they sat at helm and navigation. Amy had come aboard and busied herself making sure the ship's small medical center was well-stocked. As the medical officer, she felt that her skills would be wasted on what amounted to a walk in the yard, but Neo-Queen Serenity had insisted that a medic accompany the crew on this flight._

The rest of the bridge positions were filled by the current Sailors. Melissa manned the engineering controls, Victoria had volunteered to monitor the environmental controls, and Mariah had personally checked out the ship's weapons before presenting herself as the weapon's officer. The science station was shut down, and Sandra had rerouted communications to her controls.

Most of the women had taken a crash course on their positions and duties.. The engineering staff would not clear the _Serena for operations until each of them had passed. _

Sandra looked over the bridge as her comrades silently performed last-minute checks. Satisfied that all was in order, she cleared her throat. "Are we ready to see what this ship can do?" Raye and Haruka continued tapping commands into their terminals but each managed a nod of approval. The rest of the women also made it clear they were eager to get underway.

Sandra flipped a switch on the arm of her chair. "Luna Control, this is the _Serena."_

"Serena, this is Luna Control," came the reply. "Major Charles Bree here."

"Good morning, Major," Sandra said. "I request liftoff clearance. A flight plan has been properly filed."

There was a slight pause as the officer checked the files, then: "You're cleared for liftoff. Have a nice flight."

"You heard the man," Sandra said. "Let's get some space under this thing! Helm, take us up."

"Aye," Haruka replied. "Launch thrusters at one-quarter." 

Sandra could feel a slight rumble beneath her feet as the thrusters began the work of lifting the ship from the surface of the moon. Sandra activated the viewscreen and while they weren't working with their controls, the women glanced at the screen as the cavern-like launch bay fell beneath them.

Neo-Queen Serenity stood at a balcony and watched the Serena as it lifted off. Luna perched on the queen's shoulder and gazed at the scene. The ship bearing the queen's name gracefully rose from the landing platform like a bird leaving the nest. The _Serena lifted itself above the lunar surface and floated over the palace, then the lake…_

"We're on the glide-path over the palace lake," Haruka stated.

"Good," Sandra replied. "Move at one-fourth standard speed until we are away from the moon."

Mountains, craters and lakebeds jumped away behind the _Serena as though the ship were fleeing. _

Soon, the ship angled its trajectory upward and the moon was left behind.

"We are outside the lunar gravitation well," Haruka said as she monitored her controls. "We're free to navigate."

"Very good," Sandra said calmly. "Go to flight plan B, set course for Alpha Centauri."

As Haruka laid the course into her control board, Raye turned toward Sandra. "Isn't that a bit long for a shakedown cruise," she asked.

Sandra sat back in her chair. "Anyone here been out of the solar system?" No one replied. "I thought not.

Besides, we need to test the FTL engines, and even a short FTL jump will put us outside the system."

Minutes went by…

"We are at the Mars orbital point," Raye said. Sandra switched the viewscreen to a new direction and a small, angry red dot appeared. 

"Good," Sandra said. "Status on FTL engines?"

"FTL drive is online and functioning normally," Melissa replied.

"Here we go," Sandra murmured, then: "Activate the FTL drive."

A circle-like gate appeared in front of the ship; lights seemed to shimmer around its outer edge. The stars faded from view as the ship entered the gate, replaced by a cascade of thin red lights that flowed past them. Sandra dimmed the viewscreen so that the red streaks faded to a light gray.

"We're at full FTL speed," Haruka said.

"Engine status normal," Melissa said.

"Very good," Sandra replied. "Now we sit back and enjoy the ride."

== * **SM *==**

In deep space…

The darkness of space was suddenly distrubed by a flash of light…as if a star had exploded. As the ring of blazing light expanded, a gray object appeared and drifted into the sea of stars…

== * **SM * ==**

The Galley aboard the _Serena12:30 pm_

Sandra took her meal tray and walked down the steps to the remainder of the galley. Victoria sat alone at a table near the window. The red-streaked envelope of FTL-space lit the galley with a dull glow. 

"May I sit down?" Sandra thought to Victoria. The frail girl gestured to an empty seat across from her in response and Sandra sat down.

"What do you think of the ship?" Sandra asked.

"Actually," Victoria silently replied, "I've been living on the ship since the palace fire."

"Why?" Sandra asked.

"I wanted to do something to help," Victoria said. "The quarters on the ship are about as nice as my room at the palace."

Sandra pulled the meat off a piece of chicken while Victoria picked at a plate of peas and rice. Sandra gazed at the hellish FTL effect that seemed to shoot past the window.

"Are you mad at me?"

The unspoken question shook Sandra's attention back to the table. "Why would I be mad at you?"

Victoria sat silent for a moment, clearly puzzled by her friend's reaction, or perhaps the lack of one.

Sandra mentally repeated her denial. "I could never be mad at you."

Victoria was still unconvinced. "But I can still feel that you are angry."

There was a pause while Sandra thought about this. Victoria ate another spoon-full of rice and watched as a couple of the other crewmen entered the galley. The crewmen ignored the women and went about getting their lunch.

"Running this ship does not lend itself to having a cheerful mood," Sandra said as she tried to evade the question. 

"That wasn't what I asked," Victoria scolded mentally. "Your anger is deeper than simply your concerns about this ship. It has been there for the last few days. Did I do something…my aid to the queen perhaps…"

"No," Sandra interrupted as she saw the lines of worry cross young Victoria's face. "You did nothing wrong, and everyone, the queen most of all, appreciates what you have done."

"But the anger is still there," Victoria replied.

A sad frown flickered as Sandra said, "I don't want to talk about that now."

"I understand." Victoria's mental voice seemed to have a comforting quality about it as it said those two patient words. "You will talk to me when your are ready?"

"Yes," Sandra replied aloud softly. "I will."

== * **SM *==**

The Bridge of the _Serena2:30 pm_

"Report," Sandra ordered as she stepped up to her chair and took her seat.

"I'm picking up something weird on my navigational scanners," Raye said.

"Oh?" Sandra murmured as she flipped the comm's toggle switch. "Amy, I'll need you on the Bridge."

Sitting back, Sandra clasped her hands together, thoughtfully tapping her chin with her steeple-like index fingers. "What is the status of the object?"

"No ID as of yet," Raye reported. "Object is at bearing 168, distance roughly 108,000 kilometers and closing."

"What nation are we registered with?" Sandra asked. According to the agreement with the UN, each Moon Kingdom fighter squadron had to be attached to a UN-chartered air wing, and each ship had to register with an Earth government.

"We are supposedly based out of Portsmouth, England," came the response.

Sandra had to smile at the irony of that statement as she opened the comm channel. "This is Her Majesty's Ship _Serena calling unidentified object, respond please."_

"You'll look really dumb if it turns out to be a rock," Raye said with a smirk.

"Most rocks don't travel at faster-than-light speeds," Sandra replied quietly. As she continued to listen for a reply, Amy exited from the lift and approached the science station.

"Run an analysis of the object behind us," Sandra though as she focused on Amy, who received the message and activated the science station controls.

After about a minute of silence, Sandra closed the comm channel. She got up and walked to a point midway between the helm and navigation posts. "Haruka," she said. "Continue at full FTL thrust, and run evasive maneuvers."

"Aye," Haruka replied. "Bringing fusion reactors to full power…"

The ship accelerated slowly as more fusion energy was fed into the FTL engine. Then, it slowly began to dip and weave as it tried to shake its pursuer.

"It's definitely a ship," Amy said as she continued to coax more information from the ship's sensors. "I'm reading a metal shell with an atmospheric interior."

"FTL thrust at maximum," Haruka said. "Continuing evasives."

"I've found some markings," Amy said. She turned to a monitor and watched as the computer ran the marks. Then she looked up. "I have them. It's Cyberworld."

"Somehow I knew they wouldn't be friendly," Sandra muttered. "Continue evasive, Haruka. Throw in everything you've got." 

"I'll try," Haruka replied. "Unfortunately, this ship doesn't handle quite as well as a fighter does."

Sandra ignored what might have been considered a complaint. She knew that Haruka wanted to throw the ship into a 90-degree vertical dive, but that was impossible. Instead, Sandra smiled thinly and said, "Do what you can."

Despite this, as the minutes passed, in spite of the attempts by Haruka to shake the alien ship from their path, it still remained, a silent pursuer.

"It's gaining on us," Amy said. "Distance: 65,000 kilometers and closing."

"I'm getting tired of running," Sandra said under her breath. "Mariah, power up our aft weapons. Maybe a taste of pulse lasers will make those tin heads think twice."

Bright red beams laced outward from the _Serena and slammed into the alien ship. It seemed to have no effect. Instead, the ship increased its speed and approached the __Serena over the ship's aft section and descended toward the hull._

"Speed at 150% of maximum," Haruka reported as another ceiling conduit exploded. "The alien is directly over us!" The ship shook violently as it was pounded by alien disruptors.

"Damage report!" Sandra shouted.

Amy looked over at her. "Structural damage to starboard sections 16, 20, 24, and 29. The increased demands on the engine have blown the coolant systems to Fusion Reactor One, it's shut down."

"That's okay," Sandra replied. "We won't be needing it." She paused, then: "Everyone brace yourselves. Helm, go to zero thrust…NOW!"

The lights dimmed as the ship went from maximum speed to sublight speed in under ten seconds. Systems on the Bridge that were not already strained nearly went past the breaking point, and those that were strained went out with a shower of sparks. When the ship finally came to a stop a thick smoke hung over the Bridge, and the only illumination came from the red alert signs, the control panels, and the red emergency lights.

Sandra picked herself up from the floor. "Status!" She yelled.

Amy also had to stand up from where the sudden stop had thrown her. She quickly started tapping controls at her station. "Most primary control systems down," she reported. "Secondary systems online. There is some damage to the power grid. Life support, engineering, and other systems are operational."

"That could have been worse," Sandra said.

"I think it is," Amy said. "The aliens are still closing."

The alien ship remained hovering over the _Serena. The cyborgs aboard had noticed the engine fluctuations leading up to the dramatic drop in speed and a low-level tractor beam was attached to the __Serena. The aliens rode the __Serena as it decelerated. _

The alien ship dropped toward the Serena, its landing struts outstretched. As soon as the struts made contact with the hull of the Serena, sharp clamps extended into the hull. A thin laser beam shot out from the bottom of the craft and started cutting into the hull…

"We're about to have visitors," Amy said hurriedly. "Hull penetration at starboard section 11. They're using a laser to cut their way into a storage area."

"Since we are only using a skeleton crew, we have no security forces," Mariah stated.

"Fine," Sandra replied. "We'll handle this ourselves. Amy, Haruka, you two have the Bridge. Computer, transfer control of the ship to the ship's science officer, security code Moon-29-Alpha. Reroute all command functions to the Bridge."

Amy stepped up to the command chair. "Computer, this is Science Officer Amy Anderson accepting command, security code Mercury-57-Beta."

"Okay," Sandra said as the rest of the women gathered around her. "We have Sailor business to do."

== * **SM *==**

Starboard Section 11

Sandra and the others rounded a corner just as the Cyberscouts blasted their way into the hallway. As the smoke cleared, the two groups faced off.

One of the cyborgs, clasping a wicked-looking glaive stepped forward. "Identify yourself."

"MOON PRISM POWER!" After that came a chorus of shouted activation phrases as the other women transformed into their heroic alter-egos.

Sailor Moon stepped forward.

"My name's Moon…Sailor Moon." *

The announcement only served to produce the standard cyborg response. "You are identified as a criminal. There are numerous charges recorded against you. The punishment for these charges is death…"

"Witness transcript recorded for later transmission," another cyborg chimed in.

With that, all three cyborgs attacked. 

"DEATH RIBBON"

"WORLD SHAKING"

"DEEP SUBMERGE"

The Sailors materialized a short distance down the corridor they had just came through to get to the corridor that the cyborgs occupied. Sailor Moon looked over at Sailor Jupiter, who was picking herself off the floor. As she dove to the deck to try to dodge the cyborg barrage, she had shouted "JUPITER TELEPORTATION POWER" to whisk them all to safety.

"Well," the elder Mars said as she dusted herself off. "You heard their attacks, and they are anything like our own Sailors…"

"The direct approach seems to work the best on these things," Sailor Moon replied grimly as she started forward. "It's time to put down some serious firepower of our own."

As the Sailors turned around the next corner, they could see the intersection they had occupied when they first encountered these cyborgs. The walls in that area were now atwisted mass of charred wreckage, blackened and scorched.

Sailor Moon waved the others back. "We'll wait here," she mentally told them.

It didn't take long. "Termination complete," Cyberuranus stated as it moved into the intersectionto examine the wreckage.

"Negative," Cybersaturn replied. "There are no organic remains."

A voice responded, "Audio logs indicate the use of teleportation." With that, Cyberneptune stepped into the hall and looked directly at the Sailors…

"NOW!" Sailor Moon shouted.

"MARS CELESTIAL FIRE SURROUND!" A blast of searing primal fire roared down the corridor and enveloped the cyborgs.

"JUPITER THUNDER CRASH!" Bolts of lightning screamed down the corridor…

"DEEP SUBMERGE!" A wave of primal water flew down the corridor…

The Sailors watched to see what damage their attacked had wrought on the cyborgs. As the energies that bathed the alien intruders began to fade, the woman saw that no damage had been done. Even as the primal energies faded, the cybersailors were readying their next attacks.

"Fall back," Sailor Moon ordered. 

"But…" the elder Sailor Mars started as the others started to retreat. Sailor Moon pulled Mars out of the way as the cyborgs unleashed their attacks. Once they had gotten safely away from the area, Sailor Moon turned on the elder Mars, shaking with anger.

"I'm going to tell you this once, I am NOT my mother!" Sailor Moon shouted. "I have no use for people who won't follow orders! You got that?"

A chastised Sailor Mars gave a small nod and watched as Sailor Moon stalked off toward the others.

Sailor Neptune tapped Jupiter on the shoulder. "What's gotten into her?"

"I don't know," Jupiter replied. "I disobey orders whenever I feel like it, and she's never gotten that ticked.."

Any further comment was silenced as Sailor Moon approached. "As soon as they find out that we are not dead, they come down that corridor after us. You," she said, pointing her finger at Sailor Jupiter. "Be ready to teleport us to the next safe location."

"If they follow the same pattern, it will be section 10," Neptune added in.

The pattern was followed, and another skirmish occurred at starboard section 10. This battle went nearly as well as the last one, but this time, the elder Mars got hit by three bolts from Cybersaturn's energy-based version of the death ribbon attack.

"Teleport with her back to the Bridge," Sailor Moon said as she unslung the prone form of the elder Mars from around her shoulders. "Tell them I have a plan."

As Sailor Jupiter vanished with her cargo, Sailor Neptune asked, "What is the plan?"

Sailor Moon answered simply: "Just be prepared to do a lot of dodging. We will have to keep them in sight from here on out."

With that, the cybersailors entered the corridor and the chase was on. When the duo stopped a short distance ahead of the on-coming cyborgs, Sailor Moon mentally called out to Victoria…

This running battle continued. From starboard section 10, the main corridor turned and crossed the spine of the ship into port sector 10. The exchange of primal energies and tech-based weapons blistered the halls. Perhaps the only thing that kept the Sailors alive was the discovery that Neptune's attacks could also be used defensively, and many cybersailor attacks were met with the shouted: "DEEP SUBMERGE!"

Finally, an exhausted Sailor Moon slumped against the corridor wall and looked up…there a sign read: Port Section 32:Engineering.

"Bridge," she said as Neptune unleashed another primal attack against the cyborgs. "Evacuate the engineering section, and get ready to seal the doors. Tell them to use the starboard exit only."

"Acknowledged," came the reply.

That order having been given, Sailor Moon rose her staff in the air and shouted "MOON ZERO MAGIC!" A bright disk of energy appeared at the tip of her staff and shot forward, slamming into Cyberuranus, who had already been weakened considerably. The cyborg stumbled, but still came forward.

"Good," Sailor Moon thought. "I don't want to miss any of you with this…"

Sailor Neptune deflected another Cybersaturn attack with a shouted "DEEP SUBMERGE!" It seemed to be the most effective way to stop the energy bolts.

"Sailor Moon," came Amy's voice over the comm. "The Engineering section is evacuated."

"Good," Sailor Moon said as she slapped the entry button to open the door. "Get ready to teleport down here." With that, the two Sailors retreated into the Engine Room. 

As Sailor Moon shut the door and sealed it, she ordered the women on the Bridge: "Bring down all bulkheads in port section 32!" In five seconds, this was done. When she saw Neptune's questioning gaze, she said. "The only way out now is through this door, and they'll have to take time to punch their way through it. By the time they do, we will be in position."

"And where will that be?" Neptune asked.

"Inside the engine core."

== * **SM *==**

The Cybersailors finally crashed through the sealed door and entered the Engine Room, ready to fire on the criminals who had so far, eluded them. Finding no sign of them, Cyberuranus began to scan the area for them. After a moment, she pointed across the room in the direction of the huge cylinder shape that was the ship's fusion engine core. The Cybersailors started toward the nearest entry to the core, a short corridor-like gantry-way that led from the Engine Room itself to a door in the side of the core.

Sailor Moon and Sailor Neptune watched the progress of the Cybersailors on a monitor. "Get ready," Sailor Moon said into her wrist comm.

"Gotcha," came the response from Sailor Jupiter on the other side of the comm line. Sailor Moon motioned for Sailor Neptune to follow her, and she turned and headed down the walkway that spanned the length of the engine core. The wall to her right curved up and over her head. Connections to the engine core itself stabbed down from the wall/ceiling at seemingly random points.

Even though the FTL systems were offline, the cylindrical mechanical mass that powered the ship hummed and blinked to itself, the throb of its power rumbling through the deck. 

Once the Sailors reached the end of the walkway, they turned around. "It'll be any second now," Sailor Moon said, as much for the benefit of the woman standing next to her as those on the Bridge.

Almost as if on cue, the Cybersailors started entering the core. There were warnings posted on the outer hull of the core, warnings about the danger of being in this area of the ship, but all the cyborgs were concerned about was the fact that their quarry had fled through that door into a place that there was no way out of.

The instant the last cyborg entered the core, Sailor Moon shouted: "NOW!" The two women disappeared.

Suddenly, from behind the cyborgs came a chorus of attack commands: "SHINE AQUA ILLUSION" * "WORLD SHAKING!" and "DEATH RIBBON DEVASTATION" (although Saturn's attack was shouted across the mental landscape.)

The cyborgs tried to fight this new group of enemies, but the elder Uranus had dropped her cyborg counterpart before it could draw its metal sword. The elder Mercury followed her initial attack with: "MERCURY ICE STORM BLAST" which shrouded Cyberneptune in a block of ice.

With that, the elders dropped back.

"Okay Sailor Moon!" Jupiter shouted into her comm, and the door to the engine core slammed shut. She then aimed at the floor in front of her and shouted: "JUPITER GRAVITON POWER!" The primal waves of gravity quickly shredded the deck of the area in front of Sailor Jupiter, and the connecting corridor between the core and the engine room twisted under the assault with a metallic groan. As Jupiter continued the attack, the corridor was ripped away from the support struts and metal went everywhere, cluttering to the bottom of the small area of the core's alcove that was actually surrounded by a portion of the hull. 

Jupiter carefully watched the force fields that kept the atmosphere of the engine room intact. It shimmered angrily as metal shards flew into it, but the area where the hull stopped and the deathly cold of space started remained sealed.

"It's done," Jupiter said with a grin. "Let's go!" She then teleported herself and the other Sailors away.

== * **SM *==**

The Bridge

Before the Sailors had fully materialized on the Bridge, Sailor Moon nodded to the elder Mars.

"Eject the core." Mars responded simply by pressing a couple buttons…

With a blast of fire, small explosive charges ignited and the cylinder of the fusion core was blown away from the _Serena and spun off into deep space. _

Sailor Moon watched the slowly-rotating cylinder as it dropped further and further behind them. She glanced over at the science station where the elder Mercury was monitoring her controls.

"Is that computer virus you were working on ready?" Sailor Moon asked.

"Yes it is," came the simple reply.

"Good," Sailor Moon said. "Launch it on their ship."

== * **SM *==**

Aboard Pursuit Ship #721004915-773

The complete darkness in the cockpit of the cyborg's ship was disturbed when it received a transmission. As was standard procedure, it was routed to the command console, and a flag within the transmission was set. 

The command console received the transmission and started to act.

"ILLEGAL TRANSMISSION ATTEMPTING TO OVERRIDE COMMAND FUNCTIONS!"

"INITIATE AUTO-DESTRUCT!"

A button was pressed on the Bridge of the Serena, and sparks showered the cockpit as the program within the transmission overloaded every connection to the command console.

"AUTO-DESTRUCT FAILED! INITIATE COMM TRANSMISSION TO LUNA FOUNDATION!"

After a quick pause: "COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS NOT RESPONDING! INITIATE COMM TRANSMISSION TO LUNA FOUNDATION!"

== * **SM *==**

The Bridge

"The cyborg ship is disabled," the elder Mercury said. "We've captured it."

"Good," Sailor Moon replied coldly as she continued watching the core, which now looked like a large dot that changed shades as it rotated. "Engineering controls to my station, please."

"Aye," Sailor Jupiter replied as she hit the appropriate controls. Sailor Moon looked down and put her finger on a square button that started to flash with a bright red hue accompanied by a soft beeping noise.

She sat back with her finger resting on the button and watched the slowly tumbling core.

With a voice as cold as her cobalt-blue eyes, Sailor Moon muttered, "In the name of the Moon, I will punish you." She pressed the button…

…a flower of yellow, orange, and red blossomed in deep space, followed by a bright white flash that sent a concussion wave slashing out into the darkness…

Sailor Moon sat back in her chair and watched the explosion of the engine core. She slowly closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.

…"moondust…" she whispered.

== * **SM *==**

Port Section 47

Sandra walked down the side corridor, seemingly unaware of the dimmed lights. She scanned a data pad which detailed the damage to the ship. Most of the main systems were offline due to the loss of the engine core, or damaged. The communications systems were operational, and a distress call had been sent to the Luna Foundation.

== * **SM *==**

Aboard Pursuit Ship #721004915-773

Amy climbed a ladder into the cyborg's ship, pulled a flashlight from her hip and looked around the cockpit. In the background, the ship's computer continued to try to fulfill its final directives…

"…TRANSMISSION TO LUNA FOUNDATION! COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS NOT RESPONDING! INITIATE COMM TRANSMISSION TO LUNA FOUNDATION!"

== * **SM *==**

Port Section 49

Victoria laid on her bed with a reading light on. Aztec murals decorated the book, "The History of Mexico, 11th edition," and the history of that part of the world fascinated her. Every so often, she would look into the darkness at the nearby portal and the blanket of stars outside it. Always however, she would be drawn back to her book, and the exploits of the colorful characters of history.

A knock sounded at the door. Victoria quietly arose from her bed and put her book on the table that sat next to it. With a press of a button, a lamp lit, bathing the room in a soft yellow light.

"Come in."

The door opened, and Sandra stepped into the room.

As the door closed behind her Sandra bowed slightly. "Good evening."

"Good evening, princess," Victoria replied.

"Please," Sandra said, waving off any further etiquette. "Not so formal…I just came to talk, like I promised.

"Really?" Victoria said as she noted the strain in Sandra's voice. She gestured to a nearby couch. "Please have a seat…"

Sandra slowly went to the couch and sat down. She looked out of the window and seemed to lose herself among the clouds.

Victoria gently brought her friend back to reality. "What do you want to talk about?" 

There was a long pause before Sandra answered.

"I think there's something really wrong with Rachel…"

# FINI

·"Moon, Sailor Moon," is of course a bow to any and every Bond movie ever made.

·"Shine Aqua Illusion" is a more direct translation of the Mercury attack also referred to by the command words: "Mercury Ice Storm Blast." I decided it would be best to let the elder Mercury use the more correct of the two phrases.

# Fanfic ã1999 – John Brengman and Artemis Publishing

Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, 

ã 1992 by Toei Animation Co Ltd. and based on Kodansha's

manga production of "Sailor Moon", written by Naoko Takeuchi

This fanfic is freely distributed. Release date: April 5, 1999

Release: 3rd Edition – January 27, 2001


	13. SX#13 - Sky Senshi Reborn

Sailor X #13Sky Senshi Reborn

By: John Brengman

Edited by: Thomas Schell

Outside the quarters of Ten'ou HarukaFebruary 22, 2017

The Luna Foundation

Cass cringed as she heard yet another heavy object slam into the nearby wall. Knowing that the hurling of breakables was simply the punctuation of a shouting match increased her restlessness. Cass hated arguments.

"What's going on in there?" Sandra demanded as she approached the scene.

"Bethany and Haruka are arguing," Melissa replied.

"Again," Cass chimed in glumly.

"About the same thing?" Sandra asked as the cacophonous noise of the argument rose. Both Cass and Melissa nodded silently.

For about a minute, Sandra seemed to study the wall as if she could see the two women on the other side. Then, with a growl, she started toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Melissa asked.

Without looking back, Sandra snarled, "This is stopping now! I've told them about this…"

== * **SM *==**

Observation Lounge overlooking the Hangar Bays

The Luna Foundation

Neo Queen Serenity stood at the window and looked out over the hangar deck. The flattened triangular shape ofthe _Serena covered just under half of this hangar bay. Serenity's gaze was more upon the large empty space off to the left of the __Serena. Actually, the area was not quite empty…machines and computers speckled the floor and people buzzed about on various tasks._

However, not too long ago, that area had been the roosting place of the _Darien, which was being used by King Endyimon on a long-range diplomatic tour of the extents of the Moon Kingdom in an attempt to re-establish relations._

Neo Queen Serenity still remembered her husband's last kiss…some eight months ago…

"You summoned me?" Serenity quieted a gasp of surprise as she turned and saw Haruka kneeling before her. She had been too pre-occupied…

"Yes, I asked you here," the queen replied, a slight touch of disapproval in her voice. She then let Haruka remain in the kneeling position for a few more moments. Perhaps in the future the princess would respect the queen enough not to startle her.

"Rise," the queen said as she returned to her view of the hangar. 

After Haruka stood, she joined the queen in looking out over the bustle of the hangar. After a few minutes, Haruka gave a bored sigh.

"You did not call me here for the view, I hope, Your Majesty."

"Please do not use that title."

"But…"

The queen's eyes narrowed. "I do not like that title, and it will not be used in my presence. Am I understood?" Haruka gave a slight nod.

Serenity paused for a second before continuing. "You will need to find someone to take over the duties of Sailor Uranus."

"I do not want to do this," Haruka replied quietly.

"This is not a question of what you want," Serenity stated simply. "The others have already selected their replacements. You are the only one who has not. You had the same chance as the others to object when we started this, and you did not. So, now you will select someone to replace you."

"But…"

"Right now, this is still technically a request," Serenity said. "If I have to repeat it, it will be an order."

"Yes ma'am," Haruka murmured a slight second before she turned to leave. Neo Queen Serenity listened to Haruka's footsteps as they faded.

The silence that followed could be cut with a knife and was only broken by a voice from the shadows…

"That was a tough thing to do."

"You've picked up a nasty habit, Raye," Serenity said to the shadows.

Raye glided forward to stand in front of her friend. "Someone has to watch over you," she said. "Especially since the king left."

"It is hard," Serenity said. "Darien was always better when it came to matters of discipline."

"You're a softie," Raye agreed.

"I don't think I have what it takes…"

"You do," Raye replied. "Haruka is a tough person, and you showed her who the boss is. And, if something comes up, you'll handle that too."

Raye approached her friend and hugged her. "And if necessary," she said, "Lita, Mina, Amy, and I will be there to help."

== * **SM *==**

_Soft lights lit the bed…a sterile smell was faint in the room. Somewhere nearby, a beeping noise could be heard…_

_"Daddy, don't go…you can't go…"_

_…a tortured sigh… Then: "I can't stay…"_

_"Daddy!"_

_"…just remember what I taught you…"_

_"I will…"_

_"…promise me…" …a slight nod in response… _

_…the feverish-looking eyes faded…_

_The beeping turned steady…and a girl's quiet sobs began…_

== * **SM *==**

Shinjiro Martial Arts SchoolOctober 22, 2016

Tokyo

This day had started out like any other as far as Bethany Dell was concerned. She had gotten up at sunrise and did her morning workout routine as the skyline over the harbor changed from deep blue to bright red, then sky blue.

She attended her classes, found that she had passed a math test, socialized with a few people, and planned a get-together with a couple of friends for that evening.

After school, Bethany went over to the nearby martial arts school for her daily lesson. She quietly entered the building and headed toward the showers. The door into the locker area was open. Bethany paid no attention to that…the door was almost always open. She started digging around in her knapsack for the keys to her locker and was absorbed in the search when she turned the corner and saw Haruka…and she wasn't alone.

Haruka was standing, pressing Michiru against the lockers with her body. Michiru caressed her lover's body through the shirt she was wearing and both of them were caught up in a long and passionate kiss.

Betrayal drowned Bethany. She didn't like Haruka the way she and Michiru apparently liked each other, but over the few months that Haruka had been teaching lessons at the martial arts school, Bethany had become friends with both Haruka and Michiru.

However, seeing the women pressed against each other reminded Bethany of her father…who had very strict opinions on what was acceptable behavior. In fact, when the family had lived in San Francisco before joining the UN mission to Tokyo, Stephen Dell had made sure that his daughter knew what he thought about same-sex relationships.

They weren't just wrong…they were UNCLEAN!

Bethany stood staring, and inside her mind, her father's voice echoed: _"…just remember what I taught you…"_

Bethany hurled her knapsack into the nearby locker and stormed off, silently satisfied at Michiru's gasp of surprise.

== * **SM *==**

Haruka entered the gym and saw Bethany sulking on the nearby benches. She padded across the room on bare feet and closed the doors leading out. She then locked the doors behind her. This was one lesson that Haruka didn't want anyone to interrupt. With a stern look on her face, she turned and approached her student.

"So you saw us," Haruka growled.

"How'd you guess?" Bethany responded with a glimmer of hatred in her eyes. She knew that Haruka was trying to intimidate her, and she was in no way going to shrink from this argument.

"Why did it take you this long?" Haruka asked. "It's not like Michiru and I have kept our relationship very private."

"Yes," Bethany agreed. "I just saw a very public display!"

"Why do you care about what goes on between me and Michiru?"

"I care because you and I were friends!" Bethany yelled. "My father always told me that gays and lesbians…that _you were sick and unclean!"_

"Your father was an idiot," Haruka stated.

Bethany stood up quickly, clenching her fist as she did. "How DARE you!" She growled as she lunged at Haruka, who blocked the fist coming at her and threw Bethany toward the mats.

And the fight was on…and it was a mix of various martial arts, wrestling, and street fighting. Faces became bruised from fists or elbows, abdomen muscles were tortured from numerous kicks or knees, and clothing was nearly ripped to shreds.

At one point, Haruka grabbed Bethany and rolled so that the younger girl was pinned to the mat. Haruka then laid down on top of her, pressed her body into Bethany's and kissed her. Bethany was too startled to do anything.

"I hate you!" Bethany screamed when Haruka broke the kiss.

"I don't think you do," Haruka said as she got to her feet and pulled Bethany up. "I hear a lot of your father in your voice, but I don't hear you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bethany growled as she went to the benches to get a towel.

"It means this," Haruka replied. "I don't care whether you hate me or not, but if you do, hate me for your own reasons, not someone else's."

"I don't think that will be a problem," Bethany said as she toweled the sweat from her face.

"Good," Haruka said simply. "Do you mind if I tell you something?"

Bethany gave a slight shake of her head and continued to towel herself.

"I like you." Haruka said. "You have guts. Not too many people would have the spine to stand up to me the way you've done since you entered my classes. I've been hard on a few people, and I've always managed to put you in that group because I wanted to see just how much you'd put up with….and you

simply put up with it…with no complaints."

"You are my sensei," Bethany replied. 

"Yes," Haruka said, "but I gave you tasks that were not ones a teacher should give. They were harder,

and they had a higher purpose than simply teaching you martial arts."

"Oh?" Bethany said, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Before I go further, there is one final test," Haruka said. "You will not like it, but it is necessary. If you pass it, I will tell you why I have singled you out for 'special treatment'." 

"What do I have to do?"

"Nothing much," Haruka replied as she took the first step toward the younger girl. "Just trust me. If at any time you don't, you can walk away." Haruka continued to walk slowly toward Bethany, and the younger girl looked at her uncertainly. Haruka approached, and Bethany's eyes darted toward the door leading to the locker area. Then, her eyes seemed to steel themselves, and she looked directly at Haruka as the older woman came face to face with her. Then Haruka again stepped forward, tipped Bethany's chin up and kissed her. With her free hand, Haruka pulled Bethany close, ignoring the slight shudder that ran through the young girl's body.

"Why…" Bethany whispered when the kiss was broken.

"I know that you hate me," Haruka said. "In fact, I can use that hatred to make you stronger. However, you can be of no use to me if your hatred is stronger than your trust."

"You make it sound as though you are going to use me as a fork or something," Bethany replied.

"No," Haruka said. "Do you remember the stories ofSailor Moon and the other Sailors…."

And the talk began. Haruka explained how she was in the position of unwillingly having to choose a successor to the power and legacy that was Sailor Uranus, and she explained that she wanted someone as tough, if not tougher than she was, but someone also intelligent enough to think on her feet if necessary. Haruka then asked Bethany if she would become the next Sailor Uranus…

"…and the rest is history," Melissa said to Cass, who had hung on every word of the story.. Melissa had gotten the majority of the story from Michiru after the elder Sailor Neptune had been caught by Bethany. Michiru thought she'd be more diplomatic with her pupil than Haruka had been with Bethany, but the elder Neptune was pleasantly surprised…

"What doesn't interfere with my duties as Sailor Neptune doesn't concern me," Melissa had said calmly.

Sandra exited Haruka's quarters and approached the other women.

"Hey," Cass said. "It's a lot quieter now. What did you say to them?"

Sandra smiled. "First I listened to them, then when they started arguing again, I told them that if they didn't stop, I'd lock them in a very small closet."

The three girls laughed as they turned to walk down toward the nearby lounge. "Come on," Sandra said. "Dinner's on me."

# Fanfic ã1999 – John Brengman and Artemis Publishing

Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, 

ã 1992 by Toei Animation Co Ltd. and based on Kodansha's

manga production of "Sailor Moon", written by Naoko Takeuchi

This fanfic is freely distributed. Release date: July, 1999

Release: 3rd Edition – January 27, 2001


	14. SX#14 - The Diversion

Sailor X #14The Diversion

By: John Brengman

Edited by: Thomas Schell

Downtown Tokyo3:30 PM

Uenokoen Park

Wind rustled lightly through the cherry threes that lined the narrow cement pathways. Sunlight sparkled off the gently rippling waters of the lake. Sailboats drifted gracefully across the calm blue surface. In the open area north of the lake, a flock of kites seemed to float effortlessly above the trees. Sunlight wafted warmly through the deep blue of the sky and mingled with the leisure talk and laughter of the park's visitors.

As a pair of people strolled down along the pathway past a row of cherry trees, a figure emerged from behind one of them. The human figure carried what looked to be a huge sound system with it. In its arms, it held a huge guitar, while speakers bulged from all of its appendages.

The guitar itself was weirdly shaped. Several circular protrusions which looked like stubby organ pipes jutted off from the neck of the instrument.

"I'm Decibel," the creature declared. "Get a load of my latest single! It's sure to be a hit." With that, the neck of the guitar was aimed at the startled people.

The monster ran it fingers across the strings of the guitar and crushing waves of sound roiled from the speakers. Laughter mingled with the screaming notes as sound waves hammered the ground, ripped trees from their roots, and sent shockwaves into the nearby lake.

The victims of this attack had been quickly blasted into unconsciousness. Seeing its work was done, the creature ceased its destructive racket.

"Now that the concert is over," it said, pressing a button on the guitar. "You must pay!" Shafts of light spilled out from the cylindrical barrels on the neck of the guitar, hitting the downed people. Their prone forms began to glow with bright red halos.

After a few moments, the glow faded, and the monster slung the guitar over its back. "Thanks for the energy," it said. "Don't forget to buy my new CD!"

With a laugh, the creature disappeared.

Catsy was walking through the park when the blare of sound form the monster's attack nearly dropped her to the grassy carpet of this area of the park. She recovered in time to get to the top of the hill overlooking the lakeside pathway, where she saw the creature draining the energy from its victims.

"Gee," she thought as the monster disappeared, "where have I seen this worn-out story before?" She turned and headed down the hill away from the scene of the attack. Reaching into her purse, she grabbed her cell phone.

"I've got a call to make," she thought as her fingers flew over the numbers.

**== * SM *==**

The Luna Foundation

Sandra leaned back in her chair and looked around the briefing room as her mother and the department heads of the Titan colony haggled over the delivery of supplies and their amounts. Since the near-destruction of the Crystal Palace, supplies from Earth had become sparse, and the leader of the colony had traveled to the Luna complex to see what could be done to increase the supplies.

The representatives of Titan, Neo-Queen Serenity, and other members of the Luna Foundation staff were gathered around the brightly-lit table talking softly.

Sandra did her best to at least look interested. She was impressed that Mariah and Melissa were actually involved with the conversation.

A tap on her shoulder startled Sandra, who turned in her seat to look.

"Sorry to interrupt," Randall said quietly. "There is a call from Earth."

"Thanks for the alert, Catsy. We'll get right on it." Sandra then broke the connection to Earth and turned to Randall. "Tell Brandy, Cass, and Bethany that they're needed in Tokyo." Behind her, the computers of the main control room went about their business with blinking lights and soft whirs.

"What about you?" Randall inquired.

"Unfortunately," Sandra said, "my duties as a princess come above those as a member of the Sailors. I'll ready a shuttle for them however."

With a nod, Randall went to fulfill Sandra's orders.

The Foundation shuttle lifted off and started a gradual climb away from the surface of the moon. At the crest of a mountain on the far side of Crystal Lake, the shuttle's departure did not go unnoticed.

"Computer," a female voice whispered. "How many life readings are on the shuttle that is leaving the moon?"

"Three lifeforms," the computer answered.

"Very good," the form said as she looked about the cramped confines of her ship. It had been redesigned for this particular mission…as had she.

"Evaluate the forms on the shuttle."

After a short pause, the ship's computer responded. "There is a high probability that the forms are members of the Sailors. Communications has monitored a signal from the vicinity of our agent to the Luna Foundation. Internal communications were then directed to several rooms within the Foundation's personnel section, and a shuttle was readied."

"This is all a guess however," the woman stated.

"Affirmative," the computer said in agreement.

"At least you're honest," the woman said. "However, if you are right, that means that at most, there are five Sailors still on the base…that is certainly fair odds."

"Considering the probability that our mission will fail, should I abort the mission?" The ship's computer inquired.

"Of course not," the woman replied. "I will tell you when we can abort our mission if it comes to that." The woman then arose and went to the aft compartment of the craft. A sterile-looking bed was situated along one side of the compartment with diagnostic equipment and a computer terminal around it. The door to the shuttle stood across from the bed. The woman approached the door and pressed a button. A small indicator above the button blinked red.

"Computer," the woman said. "Run a retinal scan and identify." A red beam of light emanated from the panel and brushed the surface of her left eye.

"Subject identified," the computer reported. "Agent Lita Makoto…Cyberjupiter."

"Very good," the cyborg replied. "Lock all command codes until I return. Also, download a map of the palace and indicate on it where the communications junction, and vehicle storage areas are."

"Affirmative."

With that, Cyberjupiter stepped out of the shuttlecraft and onto the surface of the moon.

**== * SM *==**

Tokyo – Shinjuku District7:30 PM

Outside the Club Karigari

The bright lights of Shinjuku's main streets flooded the area with color and invited the passers-by to enter the clubs that cluttered the area and partake in the fun.. The other part of this advertising blitz was the music which throbbed into the streets from strategically-placed speakers. The tandem of the loud sound and bright lights worked…the streets were busy with the young, or those who were simply young at heart.

A lone police car wove its way down the street accompanied by the jeers of the more rebellious within the crowds. There was no way the officers inside the car were going to enforce the curfew in this area of town. Their duties simply called for a patrol through the area to show the badge…nothing that might get them lynched.

Decibel appeared on the roof of one of the clubs and watched the patrol car as it continued down the street. Stepping up to the edge of the building, he shouted, "It's time to crank up the sound, I think!" A roar of noise blasted from his speakers. A few people gaped up at the source of the ear piercing dissonance, but the rest scattered. The façade of the buildings across the street crumbled.

"Ah yes," the villain yelled. "Gotta love that melody!"

Energy bolts slammed into the ground at Decibel's feet. "Excuse us," a voice shouted. "There are ordinances against noise!"

The villain turned to look behind him and saw silhouettes of three women against the sky of the setting sun. "And just who the hell are you?" He growled.

The blonde woman in the center of the trio stepped forward. "I am Sailor Venus, Defender of Justice, and in the name of the planet Venus, I will punish you!"

To the left of Sailor Venus came another voice. "I'm Sailor Mars, and you'll regret the day you met me! In the name of Mars, I will punish you!"

To the right of Sailor Venus came a voice that was cold with anger. "I am Sailor Mercury, and I'll let actions speak for me! MERCURY SHARD!" A large spear-like shard of ice appeared in Sailor Mercury's

right hand and she sent the projectile flying toward the villain with a vicious growl. The shard slammed into Decibel's left arm and nearly threw him off the roof of the building. The only thing saving him from his death was the huge speakers mounted into his legs, which kept him anchored to the roof.

"You'll pay for that," the villain shouted. "Be one with the music, gals!" With that, a blast of noise gouted forth from Decibel. The waves of sound rippled across the roof, shredding it like paper. Suddenly the Sailors found themselves falling through a shower of debris.

Sailor Venus winced as a chunk of concrete slammed into her back, then looked up toward what remained of the roof of the building. Seeing that Decibel still stood there, Venus raised her right hand and shouted "VENUS WHIP!" With a quick flick of her wrist, the energy whip shot upward and entangled itself around Decibel's left foot. 

The Sailors landed on the floor two stories down from where they started. Sailor Venus quickly looked at the others. "Ready yourselves," she ordered, then yanked hard on the whip. The energy whip constricted around the villain's leg, then dragged him from the roof into the hole he had created mere moments before.

Seeing Decibel teeter, then fall, Sailor Venus shouted, "Now! Take him down!" The other Sailors complied, launching "MARS FIRE IGNITE" and "MERCURY ICE BUBBLES FREEZE" attacks simultaneously at the falling villain. The primal energies of the attacks slammed into Decibel and if he had any control over his descent, he lost it under waves of searing pain. He crashed to the ground in a crumpled heap.

Sailor Venus was about to approach the broken form of the villain when she noticed some ominous sparks shooting from the various electrical components of his high-tech suit. Turning to the others, Venus shouted, "Run! He's gonna blow!" The trio of Sailors had started down a flight of stairs to the bottom floor of the building when the shorted circuits within Decibel's suit went critical and exploded. The blast threw the Sailors down the remaining stairs.

As Sailor Mars picked herself up from the floor, she noticed that the communicator hidden in her neck-band was beeping at her. Just then, the others noticed the same thing, and Sailor Venus pressed the primal sign which rested there.*

Luna's voice spoke: "The following message was sent fifteen seconds ago." Then Decibel's voice replaced Luna's…

"Sailors, if you are hearing this, then you have defeated me. You must believe me when I say I meant no harm to you or your planet. I was a mercenary, a hired gun, hired because my employers are getting short on man-power for these missions.

"My employer was the cyborgs of the place you call Cyberworld, specifically Cyberjupiter. However, this version of Cyberupiter is a cyborg in only a minimal way…she was designed to be able to infiltrate your palace and pass as one of you if necessary."

"Cyberjupiter's mission was to kidnap Queen Serenity for Cyberworld….." The rest of the villain's message was lost as the Sailors hurried back to their ship.

**== * SM *==**

The Throne Room at the Luna Foundation

The meeting with the representatives from Titan had gone well. Neo-Queen Serenity had made arrangements for increased shipments to the colony and assured the colony leaders that the current difficulties at the Crystal Palace would not interfere with the timely delivery of the supplies.

With that business completed, Neo-Queen Serenity and the rest if her entourage went to the throne room while the Titan delegation was being shown back to their ships for the journey home. Serenity eased herself onto the throne and relaxed. While the negotiations had not been hard by any stretch of the imagination, they had been tedious.

Then Randall entered the throne room. "Princess Jupiter wishes an audience, Your Majesty."

"By all means," Neo-Queen Serenity said. "Send her in." Sandra glanced toward the door from her spot off to the right of her mother. It was not often that Randall announced one of the princesses…they normally had access to the throne room without needing such formalities.

The concern deepened when Sailor Jupiter appeared in the door. Some major event had to be happeningfor the elder Jupiter to come before Neo-Queen Serenity. Jupiter advanced to a spot before the throne and dropped to one knee. She bowed her head and murmured, "My queen."

"Why all this formality?" Sandra wondered silently. Something was wrong…

"Arise, Princess Jupiter," Neo-Queen Serenity replied, "and tell us why it is necessary for you to be on active duty?"

Jupiter was about to rise when Sandra noticed a round, gray-colored shape tucked behind Jupiter's left ear. A small red light blinked on it.

"Damn!" Sandra thought.

"Look out! She shouted as she attempted to put herself between Jupiter and the queen. 

She was too late.

Jupiter quickly looked up at Neo-Queen Serenity. A targeting scope within her right eye centered itself on the queen. Rising to her feet, Jupiter raised an arm toward the queen and pressed a button in the palm of her glove with one of her fingers. Two bolts of energy leapt out and slammed into the throne. Neo-Queen Serenity tried to get up from the throne, but she could already feel the energy waves sapping her strength. She collapsed into the throne and the energy continued to shimmer around the throne, draining energy where it could be found.

"MOON PRISM POWER!"

"JUPITER POWER!"

"URANUS POWER!"

As the glow from her transformation faded, Sailor Moon pointed at Cyberjupiter and growled, "Release the queen, or you won't leave this room alive."

"You don't think I just wear this uniform as a disguise, do you?" Cyberjupiter said with a cruel smirk as it pressed another button within the palm of her glove. An energy field appeared around the cyborg villain.

"I have all of the powers of Sailor Jupiter, and more….JUPITER THUNDER CRASH!" The cyborg then unleashed a torrent of white-hot energy that sent Sailor Moon into a roll. The primal energy splattered the area near the throne, scorching the metal lace work of the throne and the marble tile of the floor.

"Let me handle this imposter," Sailor Jupiter growled as she stepped forward. Sailor Uranus had activated her Space Sword and it glowered with a bright yellow as she approached the intruder.

Cyberjupiter saw Sailor Uranus approach just as she was about to bring her energy blade crashing down. With one move, Cyberjupiter slashed her right arm toward Sailor Uranus. The energy of the Space Sword met the energy field that surrounded the cyborg and the Space Sword vanished seconds before Cyberjupiter's karate-like strike snapped Uranus' head back. 

Sailor Jupiter stepped forward as Uranus fell. "JUPITER THUNDER CRASH!" An arc of energy flowed from Sailor Jupiter, identical to the energy surge that the cyborg had produced. The searing energy enveloped the villain. For several seconds, the Sailors watched as the energy pulsated. Then it vanished.

"Hah! I told you I was as powerful as you, Sailor Jupiter," the cyborg yelled as it launched a fist toward her. The blow connected heavily, and Sailor Jupiter dropped to one knee behind the villain, who now rounded upon Sailor Moon.

The energy field around Cyberjupiter seemed to shimmer as it turned to face the princess of the Moon. 

"MOON STAFF!" Sailor Moon shouted. Then, almost before the staff had materialized, she yelled, "MOON ZERO MAGIC!" A disk of destructive energy formed at the tip of the staff, then floated toward the cyborg. The energy bolt sliced through the weakened energy field surrounding Cyberjupiter and exploded around it. Arcs of incandescent energy washed over the cybernetic villain.

It was not enough, however. Cyberjupiter looked up to survey the room. It quickly spotted Sailor Moon and the still-unconscious Neo-Queen Serenity. "Targets acquired,:" a small computerized voice murmured inside its head as it pressed another button in the palm of its hand.

Ribbons of energy created by the Moon Staff arced away from the villain, slamming instead into Sailor Moon. The energy ribbons also sliced through the energy surrounding Neo-Queen Serenity and cascaded across her body. Sailor Moon dropped to one knee, just barely conscious. "MOON TIARA….."

Cyberjupiter heard Sailor Moon uttering the command phrase for her tiara attack. "JUPITER THUNDERCRASH ZAP!" And a ball of primal energy was sent screaming into Sailor Moon. It slammed into her left shoulder, which had only recently healed.* 

As Sailor Moon dropped to the tile floor, Sailor Jupiter charged the cyborg from behind. However, having finished fighting Sailor Moon, the villain was in the midst of turning toward the on-coming Sailor as she rushed forward. The cyborg caught the Sailor in a vise-like grip, with one hand clutching her neck, and the other grasping the front of her Sailor uniform. Then the cyborg started running toward the far wall with Sailor Jupiter gripped in front of her like a human shield. As Cyberjupiter neared the wall, a low growl escaped from its throat. The distance closed and the growl grew to a roar.

With a scream, Cyberjupiter lunged forward into the wall, which shattered under the force of the blow. Dropping the limp form of Sailor Jupiter, the cyborg went back into the throne room and almost reverently approached the scorched throne. Reaching through the energy field, Cyberjupiter grabbed the body of Neo-Queen serenity and heaved it over her shoulder. Turning, the villain then left the room through the hole it had just created. It didn't notice the blood that had started to flow from Sailor Jupiter's mouth…

Sailor Moon swam through a painful haze. Her eyes fluttered.

"What the…"

"You're awake," a voice said. "That's good."

Sailor Moon looked up and saw Sailor Uranus hovering over her. Then, a hand grabbed her right arm and pulled her up from the floor of the throne room.

Still in a daze, Sailor Moon noticed that Cyberjupiter's attack on her had shredded her uniform on her right arm, from the neck past the shoulder. Modesty overcame her and she tried to cover the little of her breast that was showing, but soon gave up. At about that time, reality returned as her eyes drank in the damage dome to the throne room.

Suddenly alert, Sailor Moon glanced at the throne and saw that Neo-Queen Serenity was gone. "Mother…" she half-whispered as she rushed to the throne. Being next to the throne didn't change the situation. Tears welling from her eyes, Sailor Moon ran down the squat stairs in front of the throne, ignoring the pain that throbbed through her shoulder. She quickly reached the heavy double doors on the far side of the throne room and scanned the hallway in either direction outside the room as if perhaps the cyborg kidnapper was still in the area. The emptiness of the hallway seemed to slap her. As Sailor Uranus silently approached, Sailor Moon leaned against the entryway and stared bleakly at the floor. 

And then, just before Sailor Uranus reached her side, a white-gloved fist pounded against the wall.

"Damn!"

Another pound of the fist…

"Damn it!"

**== * SM *==**

A small craft angled its way out of the lunar gravity well and into space. As soon as it cleared the influences of the Moon, the ship darted away…

But it was not unnoticed.

"Sailor Venus to Luna Foundation. I am on approach to the docking area, but I just saw a ship take one of the weirdest trajectories off the Moon that I have ever seen."

"That is probably the ship we're after," Luna replied. "The pilot just kidnapped the Queen!"

"I'll get em," Sailor Venus said as she turned the shuttle toward the fleeing ship. "Boost our engine output," she ordered Sailor Mars. "Mercury, scan forward. Let's take a look at this joker."

The shuttle made an arc through space and sprinted away from the Moon.

In the cockpit, Sailor Venus tapped a button on her console and a red square appeared on the cockpit dome showing where the Cyberworld ship was. Red numbers appeared alongside the square indicating the distance between the two ships. The number was getting slightly bigger.

"What is our engine output?" Venus asked.

"We're at 100% output," Mars replied.

"I said boost the output," Venus said sternly.

"That's not…" Mars started to protest.

"We're not going to get the Queen back by playing it safe," Venus stated. "Now, boost the engine output."

Slowly but surely, the shuttle began to close in on the ship it was chasing.

"We're within range," Mercury said.

"Engines at 115% and rising," Mars said, concern seeping through her voice.

Two bolts of energy streamed from the gun ports along the sides of the shuttle. The energy bolts screamed through space and bracketed the fleeing ship. They scorched just above the flattened wings of the cyborg ship and exploded just in front of it.

"You missed," Sailor Mercury remarked.

"I meant to," Sailor Venus replied as she pressed a button on her control station. "Cyberworld ship, this is Luna Foundation shuttle 47, and I am Sailor Venus. You are under arrest for numerous counts of assault and kidnapping. You will stand down and surrender yourself and your ship, or I will open fire." The other Sailors glanced at Venus as if they couldn't believe she had said what she had said.

Apparently the idea was not unique to the Sailors. A voice came over the shuttle's speakers. "I doubt you'll fire on me, since you probably know who else I have here," Cyberjupiter said. "However, if you don't back off and hold your fire, I'll kill Neo-Queen Serenity right now."

"You wouldn't!" Venus growled. "You're bluffing!"

"Cyborgs don't bluff."

Silence seemed to flood the cockpit with the exception of the beeps and whirs of the control systems and the whine of the engines.

"125%," Mars said. "We can't stay like this much longer."

Sailor Venus looked toward sailor Mercury, who caught the stare. Then Venus glanced at the scanner controls and arched an eyebrow questioningly. Sailor Mercury silently nodded.

"Well Venus," came Cyberjupiter's voice. "Do I leave here undamaged, or do I blow Neo-Queen Serenity's brains all over the deck of my ship?"

Another brief moment passed. Venus' eyes seemed to burn with intent, but finally: "Shuttle 47 to Luna Foundation. I am aborting the mission." Looking at Sailor Mars, she growled: "Bring the engines back down to standard outputs."

The Cyberworld ship streaked away from the shuttle. Seconds later, a white flash announced that the dimensional barrier had been breached.

Sailor Venus looked at Sailor Mercury. "Please tell me you got the heading that ship was on when it entered the dimensional barrier…" Mercury nodded silently.

"Good," Venus muttered as her hands flittered across the controls. "We're heading home."

**== * SM *==**

Aboard the _Serena _

Sandra stalked onto the Bridge of the ship, ignoring the steady throb of the fusion engines that propelled it through space. Crewmembers worked at their stations that provided most of the light in an otherwise dimly-lit room. The blackness of space seemed to beckon through the reinforced windows that dominated the front of the Bridge. 

Sandra ignored the view, ignored the soft murmurs of the crew as they attended to their duties, ignored the sounds of the computers as they responded to queries and orders from their human masters. Instead, she silently strode to the auxiliary stations, where Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune worked on the trajectory that they ship would take to follow the Cyberworld ship to where it had escaped. The two Sailors saw Sandra approach and stood.

"Report," Sandra said curtly. Both Sailors seemed to bristle at the tone Sandra took with them, but put their feelings aside for the time being.

"The scans Sailor Venus got of the subspace tunnel were excellent," Sailor Neptune replied. "We have a real good idea of where Cyberworld is located."

"Good," Sandra replied. Turning to the helmsman, she said. "Set a course for the coordinates you will get from the auxiliary station."

The "Aye aye" sounded at her back as Sandra walked toward the door. As she approached, the door opened and Amy stepped onto the Bridge and walked toward Sandra.

"What is it?" Sandra asked, seeing the look on Amy's face.

"While this trip might be necessary," Amy said, "I don't believe you need to be here. There is still time for you to leave the ship and report back to the Foundation."

"I am not going anywhere," Sandra replied icily, "except following where that cyborg went."

Amy paused momentarily before voicing her next thought. She knew that Sandra would not like what she was about to say.

"Don't force me to order you." She said. "My job…"

"Your job, for now," Sandra growled, "is to bandage me up…and you will do that, and nothing else!" With that, Sandra stormed off the Bridge, leaving Amy and the two Sailors watching her back. The crew at the Bridge stations concentrated on doing their jobs…and on nothing else.

The _Serena, in a flash of light broke through the dimensional barrier and floated into a new universe. A darker universe._

FINI

**Author's Notes:**

-In the anime, only Sailor Moon had any sort of symbol on her neckband.

-Sailor Moon had been injured in SX10.

# Fanfic ã1999 – John Brengman and Artemis Publishing

Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, 

ã 1992 by Toei Animation Co Ltd. and based on Kodansha's

manga production of "Sailor Moon", written by Naoko Takeuchi

This fanfic is freely distributed. Release date: July 26, 1999

Release: 3rd Edition – January 30, 2001


	15. SX#15 - Alliances

Sailor X #15Alliances

By: John Brengman

Edited by: Thomas Schell

Sandra's Quarters aboard the _Serena_

"Come in," Sandra said, half-knowing who would be at her door. Only a few minutes before, she had stormed off the Bridge in a huff after yelling at Amy. She knew who was now paying her a visit…

The door opened and Victoria entered the dimly-lit room.

"Mind if I have a seat?" Victoria asked softly as she surveyed the large pools of darkness that seemed to collect themselves in the room.

"Please," Sandra said as she gestured to a chair across from her. Victoria seated herself in the chair and then stayed silent as though waiting for something.

The pause soon became too great for Sandra. "Well," she said. "I have a pretty good idea of why you are here."

Silence.

"You're here because of that scene with Amy."

"Really?" Victoria asked quietly. "How did you discern that?"

"I made an educated guess," Sandra quipped, her temper beginning to show.

"Was your 'scene with Amy' an educated guess?" Victoria asked. "Or, is there some other logical explanation for your actions that I am unaware of?"

"Look," Sandra said with a tired sigh. "I am sorry. Next time I see Amy, I'll apologize. I don't see why you had to come down here."

For the first time, force entered Victoria's quiet voice. "Because this time, simply apologizing is not enough!" As the question formed on Sandra's face, she continued: "We need to know that we have a leader who can hold up under fire. We need someone to be strong for us when we may not be strong. We need someone who can let emotions slide by them and think logically even when the situation screams with emotion."

"I can not be that…" Sandra interrupted.

"Yes you can," Victoria said simply, "and you already do…you just don't get many chances to lead from the command seat of a starship. But, each time you transform into Sailor Moon, you prove that you have what it takes to be a leader." With that, Victoria stood and turned to go. Sandra watched her go.

Just before Victoria got to the door, she heard a soft: "I miss her."

"I know," came the quiet response. "We all do, and we'll be there to help you get her back."

"If I had had my head on straight, then she never would have been captured in the first place.

Victoria whirled to face Sandra, who stood by one of the ports of the cabin, the faint light of the stars creating a slight shadow of her on the carpeted floor. "That's not true," she said firmly, "and you know that."

"Really?" Sandra replied with a sneer in her voice.

"Yes," Victoria said. "You did what you could against someone that from what I heard, knew our security, knew exactly who she was going after, and had the perfect disguise. Who in the palace would have stopped Lita, and don't forget that's who everyone, even you, thought she was."

"I know…" Sandra said distantly. Victoria approached her friend and gently took her hand.

"Look," Victoria said softly. "Don't beat yourself over it. It wasn't your fault, and now we have a chance to do something about it…and we will do something about it…trust me." Victoria looked over to the wall clock, which displayed Greenwich Mean Time in a soft green digital display. "I am late," she said as she started for the door. "I can come back later." Sandra nodded, then watched as Victoria quietly left her quarters.

Sandra sat back down at her table and was about to take a sip of a cup of tea she had made just before Victoria arrived when the comm unit mounted in the top of the table started beeping at her. Setting the cup down, she tapped at the comm controls. "Sandra here."

"Bridge here," a voice said. "Captain, we have arrived at Cyberworld, and we are holding at grid 325."

"Okay," Sandra said. "I'm on my way." With that, she started for the door.

== * **SM *==**

The Bridge of the _Serena_

"Set course for Earth," Sandra said as the Bridge doors closed behind her and she approached her chair.

"Our course is on the board," the helmsman replied.

"Helm," Sandra said. "Take us to Earth."

Space started to move on the viewscreen, but the helmsman looked as though he was fighting with the controls. Sandra approached him as he tapped controls in frustration. "What is it?" She said.

"We are being pulled off course," the helmsman replied as he continued to try to force the Serena back on its intended path.

"It's a tractor beam," Amy said from the Science Station.

"From where?" Sandra demanded.

"Checking," Amy said as she started making inquiries of the ship's computer. Then she turned to Sandra. "If we were home," she said as she pulled up a map of the area, "we'd be heading directly into the Negaverse..." A small V appeared on the map among dots representing the known inhabited planets of the region and those planets that had been members of the Moon Kingdom. A small blue arrow led from the V shape to the dot representing Earth, but a red arrow seemed to lead off into nowhere. At the touch of a button, May rotated the map so that it showed a profile view of the area. As the map flipped onto its side, other areas became visible…these were other universes and sub-dimensions within the one the Serena was located in. 

The red arrow now stretched across a dim line marking the boundary between the universe and a small pocket dimension…

"Helm," Sandra snapped. "Give me full reverse thrust on the engines. We have to break this beam."

"Aye sir," the helmsman replied. With a tap of a few buttons, the ship started to resist the pull of the tractor beam. The room shuddered slightly and the lights flickered. Sandra gazed intently at the viewscreen…and saw the motion detector drop….but not enough. The ship was still being dragged forward.

"Engineering," Sandra said. "Increase power to the engines." She tapped a few controls on her command console, then glared at the viewscreen. "That bastard's not going to take this ship," she muttered.

The whine of the engines increased in volume as more power was poured into them. The ship started shuddering more violently and a control panel on the far side of the room blew apart, showering the area with white sparks and smoke. The motion detector beside the viewscreen slowed, then stopped.

"Good," Sandra said grinning. "We've stopped moving."

"Yes," Amy replied as she joined Sandra near the helm station. "However, we are putting everything we have into the engines. There is nothing left to use to cut the beam itself…"

"So what do we do?" The helmsman asked.

"Engines at 120%," a voice reported.

Sandra glared at the viewscreen as if doing so would change the physics of the situation. Then: "Reduce engines to thrusters only. Let the beam pull us, but keep us aloft."

The ship slowly descended through space toward a flat planar surface that was nearly obscured in thick dark clouds. The clouds gave way grudgingly and soon, objects on the ground could be seen. On the Bridge, Amy magnified the view and individual buildings could be seen.

"There are no power readings except at Castle Beryl," Amy reported. A green square surrounded a dark object in the corner of the screen.

"There's nothing from Drabesh Palace?" Sandra asked.

"No," Amy replied. "In fact, I don't see any evidence that Drabesh Palace is standing."

"Interesting," Sandra murmured. Individual buildings could be picked out on the ground below. The ship seemed to be heading for a large bare area to the east of Castle Beryl.

"Get ready for landing," Sandra ordered.

== * **SM *==**

Sailors Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Saturn, along with Amy stepped off the ramp from the Serena and started toward the castle that loomed to the west. Castle Beryl seemed to leer at them as the group 

approached.

The silence was almost deafening. No one talked, but also, no sounds could be heard from anything else. No people milled about, no vehicles could be seen….nothing. As the Sailors came to the front entrance of the castle, the feeling that the answers to a lot of questions awaited them inside swept through the young women.

Sailor Moon put her arms out to stop the others. "We have no idea of what is inside," she said. "So be careful." With that, she entered the "mouth" of the skull-like visage that was the front of the castle.

== * **SM *==**

The first thing the Sailors noticed about the throne room was the computers….lots and lots of computers. Machinery clustered around the main entrance to the room and the wall to the right. Scattered among the computer modules and screens were star charts and maps of Earth. Only a people manned the computer stations, although there were enough seats for at least a dozen.

Almost forgotten in the shadows of the rest of the room was the throne, with its arms which were a part of the raised platform at the rear of the room. The gruesome countenance of a thin, zombie-like skull seemed to smile in the darkness, its razor-sharp teeth barely visible.

"At last," a voice seemed to boom from everywhere in the room. "You have come." A red-haired woman entered the room from a side alcove. Her black dress flowed around her like brackish water as she moved, and her hair rustled as though it was being blown by a breeze. 

With a wordless nod, Queen Beryl dismissed the technicians working at the computers. Their gazes fell to the floor as they passed the group of Sailors. Beryl pressed a button, and a metal door slid shut behind them.

"Welcome to Cyberworld," Beryl said.

Any further comment from Beryl was cut off by Sailor Moon. "Why have you brought us here?" She demanded.

"I did not bring you," Beryl murmured as she approached the Sailors. "I had hoped I would find the Sailors who have defended Earth in the past." The queen started to walk down the line of Sailors as if she were inspecting a row of army recruits. 

"I don't know you," Beryl said as she stalked past Sailor Mars.

Sailor Mercury growled softly. Amy placed a restraining hand on her shoulder and eyed the younger woman with a frown.

Beryl stopped in front of Sailor Venus. "Oh, I know you wear the uniforms," she said. "But you are not the Sailor warriors who defended Earth from the Negaverse."

The queen continued her inspection and finally reached Sailor Mercury and Amy, who were standing at the end of the line of Sailors. "Except you…" Queen Beryl mused, pointing at Amy. "I know your face…"

With a roar, Sailor Mercury launched herself at Queen Beryl. A slashing right hand drove the queen back quickly, but the raging Sailor lunged again. The Sailors and Amy overcame their momentary shock and started toward the fray.

Queen Beryl swiped at her attacker with her right hand, but only succeeded in opening her defenses up to the oncoming fury that was Sailor Mercury, who shot forward and grabbed Beryl by the neck before her comrades could reach her. With a thud, the two women slammed to the ebony-stoned floor.

"Imposter!" Mercury hissed as she shook the queen. "I am the queen! Damn you, _I am the queen!" Amy and the Sailors managed to grab Mercury and began to pull her off amid shuts of shock and disbelief, but Mercury kept shouting: "I am the queen!"_

"Indeed," Beryl said as she got to her feet. She shook her head as though she were relieving a minor annoyance, then approached the Sailors. Venus and Mars held Sailor Mercury while Amy busied herself with checking her pupil for signs of whatever could have caused her outburst. For her part, Mercury simply looked at Queen Beryl with a look that spelled murder.

The look only intensified after Queen Beryl backhanded her. "Don't you EVER do that again," she growled. Seeing that some of the Sailors were thinking about attacks of their own, Beryl backed up a few steps, then addressed Amy.

"Where are the Sailor warriors who defended Earth from the Negaverse?"

"That was twenty years ago," Amy replied. "Our powers have been passed on."

"Enough!" Sailor Moon shouted. "It's time you started answering our questions, Beryl. Why'd you bring us here?"

"Ah yes," Beryl smirked. "I see the young haven't grown any less impetuous." Sailor Moon glowered darkly and Beryl continued. "I'll answer your question with one of my own. What exactly are you doing in this universe?"

After an uncertain pause, Venus answered. "We came to free our queen from the cyborgs."

"How do you plan to do this?" Beryl asked simply.

Dead silence followed.

"I thought not," Beryl said. "You don't have any idea of where your queen is, or how you will get her out of whatever that place might be. That is why once I found out that you had crossed into this universe, I brought you here."

"What do you want?" Sailor Venus asked coldly.

Beryl walked over to a wall monitor and flipped a switch. On one screen, a map of the Earth appeared, with green dots representing the major cities on the planet. The other monitor showed Earth's solar system.

"Ever since the mid 90s," Beryl explained, "I have been waging a war against the Luna Foundation and its cyborgs. Now that you are here, you have made options available that were not there before."

"I don't see what this has to do with us," Sailor Moon said quietly.

"It's very simply really," Beryl replied. "Either you join with me, in which case you will get all of the information and support needed to rescue your queen, or you don't, and not only do you not save your queen, but the war against the cyborgs will be lost, and the next time you deal with them, they will be invading your world."

Despite their mistrust, it did not take the Sailors long to agree to aid Beryl against the Luna Foundation.

== * **SM *==**

"When do we go after the queen?" Sailor Moon asked once all of the Sailors (excepting Mercury) agreed to join forces with Queen Beryl.

"In time. There are things that need to be done first," Beryl said. She nodded toward Sailor Mercury. "Bring her." With that, Beryl walked into the alcove that adjoined the throne room. Sailors Venus and Mars hauled Sailor Mercury with them as they followed. Sailor Moon followed also…she didn't yet trust Beryl.

They entered what appeared to be a medical room of sorts. Two beds dominated the center of the room, and cabinets and medical supplies covered most of three walls. The fourth wall was lost in the dim light at the other end of the room, and just beyond the beds, the walls and floor took on a cave-like look. In this room too, it seemed, the arts of magery and technology dueled.

Beryl seemed to continue that battle. Suddenly, her scrying orb appeared in her hands. None of the Sailors could remember her having it when she entered the room, but further question was silenced when Beryl motioned toward one of the beds. "Put her there," she ordered. The Sailors hauled Sailor Mercury onto the top of the table. Metal restraints quickly encircled Mercury's arms and legs and with a growl, she threw herself against them.

Beryl looked up at the Sailors standing at the table. "Leave us."

Neither Sailor moved. "What are you going to do to her?" Sailor Venus asked.

With a smirk, Beryl replied: "I'm going to do what has to be done…now leave us."

Staring back at their friend, Venus and Mars left the room and the door closed behind them.

== * **SM *==**

Queen Beryl entered the throne room several hours later. Sailor Moon and the other Sailors were standing around the computers as a young man in a uniform discussed how the computer center operated. The briefing stopped as Sailor Moon noticed that Beryl was approaching. The queen came to the computer terminals and leaned on them as though she were exhausted.

"What happened?" Sailor Moon asked. "Is Sailor Mercury okay?"

"I pulled what I could of the wraith shard out of her," Beryl replied. "There is enough left of it that Sailor Mercury will be able to use all of her powers…"

"…and…?" Sailor Moon asked.

"And I can train her how to control all of those powers." Beryl said. "However, that can be dealt with later. Now, we need to proceed with my plan to destroy the Luna Foundation."

"How do we fit in?" Sailor Moon asked.

"I have modified the plan so that you can rescue your queen while the main plan proceeds. However, our forces don't work in a way that would make them useful."

"They're terrorists," Venus stated.

"How…" Beryl began.

Venus gestured toward the computers. "We took the time to look over your military setup."

"Then you know that until now, my focus has been on hit-and-run tactics and a guerilla war aimed at making it exhaustive for the Luna Foundation to maintain control."

"So, once again," Sailor Moon said. "How do we fit in?"

"Your ship would be the perfect escort for a troop carrier which will retrieve about 500 volunteers from Earth. These new soldiers will be a crucial part of our assault on the Foundation."

"Where are they at and how do we get to them?" Venus asked.

"General Jedite is in charge of the ground operation to bring these people together," Beryl stated. "There is an abandoned weapons storage facility outside Denver, Colorado." A map of the Denver area appeared on one of the overhead screens. "Jedite is having them group there. You will take your ship and the troop transport to this facility and retrieve the soldiers. Jedite will see that they are taken care of from that point on."

"I assume the Luna Foundation's not just going to let us waltz in and take these people," Sailor Mars quipped.

"Normally you'd be right," Beryl said. "However, I can equip your ship with a refracting shield which will bend the laser net the Luna Foundation uses to monitor transits to and from Earth. Once on the planet, security is your problem."

"Know this however," Beryl continued. "I expect that you will get detected by the Foundation, which is why I've provided the transport with an escort. Your job is to sneak in, get the troops, and get out any way you can. The troop transport itself is expendable, but the troops themselves are not."

"Anything else?" Sailor Moon asked.

"I've loaded a couple of fighters aboard the transport to give you some support, but they won't last long if you get trapped for any length of time."

"Okay," Sailor Moon said as she looked at the other Sailors. "Are we agreed we're doing this to help save our queen?"

"Yes ma'am," all of the Sailors shouted.

"Okay," Sailor Moon said simply. "We'll do it, Queen Beryl. Just so you know if you double-cross us…"

"I won't lie to you," Beryl said. "I am the same person your predecessors fought. However, if I am going to dominate this universe, I have to dispose of the current rulers, and for now, my plans, and your needs share a common enemy."

"Okay," Sailor Moon said. "Just so we understand each other."

Queen Beryl nodded.

== * **SM *==**

Luna Foundation – Cyberworld

Somewhere within the vast complex that was the Luna Foundation a voice spoke:

SENSOR NETS IN TERRA GRID 34 HAVE DETECTED A POINT ZERO ZERO TWO FOUR VARIATION.

PROBABLE CAUSES: SENSOR MALFUNCTION, ENERGY FLUX, OR INTRUDER.

DEPLOY RESOURCE TO INVESTIGATE ALL PROBABLE CAUSES.

== * **SM *==**

The Rocky Mountain Arsenal

Denver, Colorado, USA

"Get those people aboard, now!" Sandra yelled through the driving snow.

The _Serena loomed behind her and dwarfed the tallest building on the old military base. The ship's silvery hull seemed to blend in with the gray sky and the wispy snow. In contrast, Queen Beryl had pressed an old cargo transport into service to haul troops. The Negaverse ship was blackened with soot and several gashes had been ripped in its outer hull plating. The ship looked like a huge submarine with its sides flattened off. Huge whisker-like antenna sprouted from various places along the sides of the ugly-looking ship._

However, the ship may have been ugly, but it was also space-worthy. After all, it had survived the trip to Earth.

Sandra watched the slow tide of would-be soldiers for Queen Beryl and shook her head to correct herself. These people weren't working for the Negaverse, at least, not the evil Negaverse that she knew…they had volunteered to pick up arms against the Luna Foundation, occupied Earth, and the Cybersailors.

"Hey!" Sandra yelled as she started toward the ramp that would take her aboard the _Serena. "Pick up the pace! I'm sure we were detected on the way down!" A nod from a man atop the ramp of the transport ship acknowledged her order. The flow of people onto the transport barely changed, however._

Sandra entered the Bridge and went over to Brandy, who was manning the comm station. "Get a message to Jedite," she ordered sternly. "Tell him to lift off as soon as the last volunteer is aboard that ship and not a second later!" Brandy nodded and turned to the comm panels.

== * **SM *==**

Near Castle Rock, Colorado

The computers sought out the twenty-four F-22 fighters flying in formation near the front range of the Rocky Mountains…

TARGETS DETECTED. COURSE: 015.19, RANGE: APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES.

TARGETS ARE TO BE DESTROYED UPON CONTACT.

The computerized aircraft acknowledged their orders and turned north toward the Denver metro area.

== * **SM *==**

The Rocky Mountain Arsenal

Denver, Colorado, USA

"Jedite says the last volunteers are aboard," Brandy reported.

"Good," Sandra replied. "Helm, full thrust. Launch now!"

"Aye sir."

The thrusters on the _Serena came to life with a roar that shook the buildings on the base. The thunder of the Negaverse ship's thrust soon joined the cacophony and even the steel-reinforced buildings that were common on the base were not able to stand the strain. Concrete shredded and fell away from over-stressed steel beams as the two ships rose into the sky with the arrow-shaped __Serena in the lead._

No sooner did the _Serena clear the southern boundary of the base then:_

"Incoming ships," Amy reported from the science station. "Two squadrons of American F-22 air-superiority craft." In answer to Sandra's unspoken request, the viewscreen at the front of the Bridge activated. Against the backdrop of the snow-laden clouds, numerous small aircraft could be seen.

"They'll be here in seconds," Amy reported.

"Put us on a slow, steady climb out of the atmosphere," Sandra ordered. "And make sure we cover the transport as much as possible." The helmsman worked to comply with these orders.

"Here they come!" Amy shouted.

Sleek aircraft swept over the hull of the Serena, their rotary cannons blazing. Their shots plinked along the surface of the ship and within a second, the aircraft were either banking away to align themselves for another pass, or they banked downward to unleash their guns against the transport ship.

"No damage," Amy stated.

"CAN they damage us?" Sandra asked.

"Their machine guns won't do anything but superficial damage, however, since we can not use our fusion shielding until we leave the atmosphere, we are just as vulnerable to anti-aircraft missiles as any other aircraft."

"I wouldn't want too many of those cannon shells too close to the fusion reactors," the helmsman said.

"Okay," Sandra replied as the aircraft made their second pass over the ship. "Steady as she goes."

A red light blinked on Amy's console. She pressed it, then read a report that flashed on her screens. "Sandra," she said. "The transport is taking damage. Their hull is not as strong as ours, and they have no working shields."

"Damn…" Sandra muttered.

"You've got to allow us to fire back," the weapons officer said.

"Are there any lifeforms on those planes?" Sandra inquired.

"No," came the response.

"Okay," Sandra said just as the planes began their third strafing run. "Fire at will. Make sure you completely destroy them otherwise they might hurt someone if they crash."

The fighter planes' cannons were soon met with lasers from the _Serena, and seven aircraft were soon reduced to molten metal. The remaining aircraft bore in on the transport ship with an almost angry determination that paid off as a plume of flames gushed from the rear section of the ship._

"Incoming communication," Brandy said. At Sandra's nod, the message appeared on the screen. Jedite's face looked grim. Dirt and soot were smeared across his face and his hair looked ragged. His blue eyes glistened with distress as he said, "Sandra, those fighters just took out our port thrusters and the stress is about to rip this ship apart. I'm going to detach the cargo area of the ship. You can grab it with a tractor beam…" The control room on the transport shook as the aircraft made another strafing run. Several more control panels burst into flames which spread pale blue smoke around the room.

Jedite continued. "Grab the cargo area with a tractor beam and get these soldiers to the Negaverse."

"How will we get the cargo section to the Negaverse?" Sandra asked. "I doubt we can tractor it all the way there."

"We can pull the two separate pods into the cargo bay," Amy replied. "It will be a tight fit, but we can accommodate the soldiers here."

"We'll see ya once you've arrived, Jedite." Sandra said.

"I won't be there." Jedite said grimly.

"Wha…" Sandra stammered.

"Someone has to stay aboard and pilot this thing long enough to make sure that it clears the city," Jedite said. "This ship has two fusion chambers…if they blow…"

"Roughly five million people will die," Amy replied.

"What if we tractored you out?" Sandra asked.

"Nice idea, but your ship can't carry this transport and make it out of the planet's gravity well," Jedite said.

"Okay," Sandra said. "We'll do it your way." The image flickered as the aircraft made another attack run.

"Sandra…" Jedite said.

"Yes?"

"Tell Queen Beryl that I'm sorry I failed her…" Jedite's face was then replaced with the scene outside.

Silence seemed to creep over the room…a silence only broken by the clicks, beeps, and whirs of the computers…

"Situation report," Sandra ordered.

"We are fifteen miles south of the arsenal," Amy replied. "Coming up on the cities of Sheridan, Parker and Littleton."

"And Jedite?"

"The transport is at 26% structural integrity and it is slowing.," Amy replied. "All but the starboard- forward thrusters are destroyed." 

A green light appeared on Brandy's comm panel. "Jedite's ready," she said.

"Tell him to go ahead," Sandra said calmly.

With a clunking sound, the flat cargo pods fell away from the transport ship and began to plummet to the ground. A yellow beam lanced out from the _Serena and speared both containers, stopping their fall. The beam then slowly retracted, drawing both pods to the cargo bays…_

"The cargo pods are aboard!" Amy yelled as the ship shook under the guns of the attacking aircraft. Quickly checking her boards, she turned to Sandra. "We have minor damage to the starboard power relays, but nothing that will keep us from getting away."

"Good," Sandra said. "Helm, full speed, get us out of here."

"But what about Jedite?" Brandy asked.

"Helm," Sandra said again. "Now. That's an order."

Jedite stood within the wreckage of the control room of the transport. Smoke billowed about the ceiling and poured from the flames of numerous control stations. Heavy cables hung limply from holes in the ceiling. Scorched ceiling panels littered the floor.

Jedite quickly tapped the buttons of one of the few functioning control stations that was still operating. The status readouts above the controls told him the results of his efforts: 18% structural integrity and falling. All but one thruster destroyed. Engine integrity at 30% and falling…

The ship shook violently as the fighter aircraft pounded the battered transport. Jedite was thrown to the floor and as he landed, he heard a warning beep from the computer. He quickly got back to his feet and rushed back to the control station where he was greeted with a new problem amid the flashing red lights of the control panel…

"Sandra," Amy said. "The transport ship has lost all thrusters and their fusion reactors are going to go critical!"

"Get us back there!" Sandra ordered. "We've got to pull that ship out of there!"

"There's no time! The ship's already going down!"

As the fighters angled to the south to pursue the _Serena_, the tortured hulk that had been the transport ship angled down toward the ground….

Jedite screamed as the ground rushed toward him on the viewscreen…

A white flash lit up the sky over Denver. Within a few seconds of blistering heat and blinding light, almost everything from Longmont in the north and Castle Rock in the south was destroyed.

== * **SM *==**

"Where did Jedite crash?" Sandra asked as she sunk into her chair. Star-speckled space appeared on the screen.

"The transport crashed just south of Littleton," Amy replied hollowly.

"Any sign of pursuit?"

"No," Amy replied. "The explosion destroyed them."

"Casualties?"

The answer came. "According to our computers, about seven million people lived in the area affected by the explosion."

"Set a course for the Negaverse," Sandra ordered as she got up and started to the door. The silence that she left behind her was not interrupted for a long time as the reality of what had happened sunk in.

== * **SM *==**

The Luna Foundation

The table ascended into the room through a large square opening in the floor. The area around the cold metallic table was lit brightly from a bank of lights evenly spaced in a square somewhere above the table. The rest of the room was more dimly-lit with large spouts which discharged a heavy fog that clouded the floor and kept the room at a cool temperature. Various machines emitted green lights from their control surfaces as they worked and this light mixed with the fog to create an almost otherworldly feel. 

Tables, like the one that had just emerged into the room were spaced out evenly along the edge of the room, arranged perpendicularly to the walls, between the machines.

Upon the tables rested naked female humans….but not just any female humans…

These females were identified by the Luna Foundation as being genetically identical to the Sailor soldiers of the alternate reality. Thus they were the basis for the Cybersailors. On the monitors that tracked the life signs of their subjects were the names… ANDERSON, AMY….HINO, RAYE…..KINO, LITA….and the others.

The only thing adorning the bodies of the women was a large metal brace-like device that covered the area from the abdomen to the upper thigh. Large tubes connected these devices to inverted pyramid-like machines which were attached to the ceiling. On each monitor, below the name of the subject was a computerized diagram of the reproductive system of each subject. Below that was a status indicator, which flashed a single word in bright green: INACTIVE.

Seven bodies were arranged in this way upon seven tables in this room.

Another opening appeared in the floor near the table in the center of the lit area of this room. A control panel, its surface sloped at a steep angle, rose and came to a position at the right side of the table. On the top half of the panel, various buttons winked off and on. On the bottom, a command box dominated. Then words appeared in the command box…

VOCAL COMMAND ACCESS AUTHORIZED

COMMAND NODE: GATES- LOGIN

COMMAND NODE: DELL- LOGIN

COMMAND NODE: DOW- LOGIN

COMMAND NODE: HIDEO- LOGIN

A SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF NODES HAVE ENTERED TO ALLOW COMMAND ACCESS

AWAITING ADDITONAL COMMAND NODE LOGIN

A few moments passed…

VOCAL COMMAND ACCESS AUTHORIZED

And voices filtered into the room…

GATES: WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE CURRENT CLONING PROJECT?

DOW: PHASE ONE – BRAIN-TAPING HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED.

HIDEO:PHASE TWO, THE CONSTRUCTION OF ANY DEVICES USED BY THE SUBJECT

HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. THE DEVICE THE SUBJECT REFERS TO AS THE

'IMPERIUM SILVER CRYSTAL' HAS BEEN REPRODUCED WITH 100% ACCURACY.

DELL:PHASE THREE IS READY TO PROCEED.

GATES:AGREED. PROCEED.

A large hole opened in the ceiling and one of the metal braces descended toward the table. The prone form of the woman lay motionless, her feet enclosed in brackets near the side of the table. The device continued to drop toward the woman until its cold surfaces surrounded her pelvic area. A monitor like those that accompanied the other tables appeared on one side of the table near the subject's head…

SUBJECT: NEO-QUEEN SERENITY

HIDEO:THE EXTRACTION UNIT IS IN PLACE.

GATES:BEGIN EXTRACTION. SCAN FOR SUBJECT VIABILITY.

The extraction device began to whir quietly as the red ACTIVE light began to flash on its surface. As it worked, a computer diagram of Serenity's reproductive system began to form on the monitor. After a few minutes, the process was complete. Deep within Serenity's body, sensors now scanned the regions that contained her ovaries. Diagrams of both ovaries appeared on the monitor, then glowed red as the organs they represented were scanned. Information from the scan appeared on the control panel…

REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM CONDITION IS STABLE AND VAIBLE.

TOTAL CELL COUNT: 34.7 MILLION CELLS

CELLS MISSING:225 CELLS

CELLS DAMAGED:0

CELLS DESTROYED:0

GATES:BEGIN THE CLONING PROCESS. READY BRAIN TAPE FOR RE-IMPLANTATION. DEVISE SUITABLE RE-PROGRAMMING AND CYBERNETIC PROCEDURE AND IMPLEMENT THEM AS NECESSARY.

HIDEO:WHAT NODE SHALL WE ASSIGN TO HER?

The answer came: "CYBERQUEEN."

FINI

# Fanfic ã1999 – John Brengman and Artemis Publishing

Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, 

ã 1992 by Toei Animation Co Ltd. and based on Kodansha's

manga production of "Sailor Moon", written by Naoko Takeuchi

This fanfic is freely distributed. Release date: September 7, 1999

Release: 3rd Edition: February 10, 2001


	16. SX#16 - Evil Rising

Sailor X #16Evil Rising

By: John Brengman

Edited by: Thomas Schell

Minatoku District, Tokyo11:39 PM

A drizzling rain fell, misting the streets as people in vehicles went by on whatever business they might have at this time of night. A few people on their way home stopped on the sidewalk to look at the wares in the brightly-lit display windows of the stores that lined this particular street. A bicyclist trundled down the street, doing his best to avoid the puddles of water that had collected on the asphalt.

None of these people noticed the small device that silently glided above them. It was one of thousands of such devices that had been deployed over the city. One of millions deployed across the globe.

The surveillance drone scanned the bustle below with its normal lens, then switched to infrared. Nothing unusual was detected, and the heat signatures of those scanned gave no indication that they were unduly anxious about anything, so the drone continued about its patrol.

A few minutes later, the drone entered a section of Minatoku where several apartment houses were standing. It scanned one such three-story building, then switched to its infrared lens.

A few minutes later, police cars silently pulled up in front of the building as the drone watched. One police officer pulled a small rectangular-shaped box-like device from his coat and looked at it. A small readout showed a floor plan of the building and the location of a target. The words: "SUSPECT LOCATED" flashed in red along the bottom of the screen.

The officers quickly climbed the cluttered, narrow stairs to the second floor then hurried to the door indicated by their scanning devices. The police clustered around the graffiti-covered door. One officer then placed a kick near the knob. The shattered wood caved inward and the police advanced.

Inside the small apartment, a lamp flickered, casting a yellowish pallor over the cramped living room. A small kitchen was situated off the living room across from the front entrance, but the tile-floored room looked as though it was put there as an after-thought. The officers quickly discovered the occupant and two of them had drawn high-powered pistols and had them aimed at the man's head. The others busied themselves with going through the man's belongings.

Finally, one officer pulled the frayed couch away from the wall. A pile of comics peeked out from its hiding spot. Picking up one of the comics, a police lieutenant approached the hapless tenant and waved it in his face.

"Are you aware that possession of any of the works of the traitor, Naoko Takeuchi is a criminal act against the state?"

"N-n-no," the man stammered.

"Ignorance of the law is no excuse." The lieutenant nodded and the two officers fired. Blood spurted from the man's neck and he collapsed over the kitchen table atop the comics that had been the cause of his demise.

The title, "Beautiful Savior Sailormoon" was soon obscured by the dead man's blood.

"Is anyone else living in these apartments?" The lieutenant asked as he casually turned away from the bloody scene around him. Officers were already spreading gasoline around the apartment.

"No sir," one officer replied.

"Very well," the lieutenant replied. "Prepare to detonate the building." With that, the officer pouring the gas threw the can into the kitchen and he and the others walked out of the apartment. The lieutenant walked into the hall, pulled a matchstick from his pocket. With a scrape against the doorframe, the match was lit, then thrown into the apartment, which roared into an inferno.

As the lieutenant turned to walk away, the fiery light of the bonfire shined off the silvery metallic circle that was lodged behind his right ear.

== * **SM *==**

The gnarled snout of the Negaverse ship nosed dawnward to avoid the burst of flak that cut through the air where the bow had been. As the grisled and sullen hulk floated just above the top of the cloud cover, it lazily weaved back and forth and managed to dodge two flights of missiles.

And then, as if the ship itself had made its decision, it slowly sank toward the clouds. The bottom of the ship disappeared into the tops of the billowy clouds, sending wisps of luminescent tedrils splaying outward. Two more missiles slammed into the clouds to either side of the ship, leaving temporary tunnels which soon swirled out of existance.

"So," Bethany said. "What is the plan?"

Sandra lounged in the command chair and looked around the cramped control room of the ship christened the _Renegade. Crimson red-lit control panels dominated the room and gave it a macabre feel…so unlike the comforting expanse of the control center of the __Serena._

"Sandra…" Bethany prodded.

"Oh," Sandra murmured as she was shaken back into the present-day. "What did you ask me?"

"What are we doing dodging the Luna Foundation Air Force, and why are we doing it over the northeastern corner of the United States?"

Sandra grumbled. "It's another _test from Queen Beryl. If we "pass" then perhaps we'll get the information we need to launch an attack on the Foundation itself."_

"She's trying to find out what we can do to help her defeat the Foundation?" Bethany offered.

"That's possible," Sandra replied coldly, "but I am feeling quite _used."_

The clouds faded away from the viewscreen and were replaced by the glimmering lights of a major city. The artificial constellations spread out for miles in every direction except one…the direction the Negaverse ship was approaching from.

Sandra and Bethany walked quietly to the front of the control room and stood before the viewscreen as the lights of the city below slowly crept closer.

"Welcome to Toronto," Sandra said. "Home of the Foundation's power grid that covers North America."

"Some test," Bethany murmured. "If we destroy that…"

"…the Foundation will lose tracking and communications with all of its units in this area and a good deal of the civil network will go down too," Sandra finished.

Somehow the importance of this mission seemed to make the Sandra's argument with Queen Beryl seem a little petty.

== * **SM *==**

Castle Beryl

The mood was as dark and gloomy as the gruesome facade that stared back at anyone who looked at the castle. And, that was before the _Serena returned from its first mission to Earth. Now, an almost depressing pall hung in the air of the castle's rooms and corridors. People tried hard not to be out and about if they weren't on some urgent business, so the hallways were even more devoid of people than normal._

Beryl stood behind a computer technician and looked over his shoulder; the pale glow from the screen flowed about her face. She didn't seem to notice Sandra storm into the room and slam a clipboard down onto the table. A technician sitting at the computer near where the clipboard had landed looked up at Sandra with a look barely hiding disapproval and disgust.

"What in the HELL was that?" Sandra demanded.

Beryl didn't seem to notice Sandra's outburst for a few seconds.

"You'll have to be more specific," Beryl said without taking her gaze away from the computer screen she was studying. "There are so many different kinds of hell."

Sandra pushed a computer monitor off the table, scattering both computer components and technicians. "I'm talking about the incineration of seven million people!" She shouted.

Beryl turned to Sandra and her eyes narrowed as she growled: "Do you want to give me another excuse to kill you?"

"How many excuses did Jedite get?"

Beryl seemed shocked by Sandra's reply and she looked away and was silent for a long moment before quietly mumbling: "Jedite's the second general that I've lost."

"What?" Sandra gasped.

Beryl turned to the computer terminal nearest the overhead maps and entered a few commands. A satellite view of a portion of North America popped onto the screen. Beryl fed more commands in and the view slid north and east until it showed the area south of Lake Michigan….

…but there was a gaping area of blackness where Chicago should be. Roads and other cities could clearly be seen, but the lights of the largest city in the area of the map were simply absent.

"What happened?" Sandra asked quietly.

"When I first started the attacks on the Foundation," Beryl said, "the strategy was to start individual resistance cells and wage a guerilla war. Chicago was chosen as the place to start this, and since the guerilla war is more her style, Zoisite was chosen to organize and lead this insurrection. 

"At first, the operation went very well. We gained a lot of sympathizers, and we started attacking Foundation facilities. Within a few months, we had nearly brought the city to a stand-still."

"Then what?" Sandra asked.

"Then the Foundation decided if it couldn't control the city, neither would anyone else," Beryl said simply. "They used the mobile nuclear missile facilities in Wyoming and fired a warhead which destroyed the city of Chicago and everything out to about 70 miles or so."

"My god," Amy murmured from her seat nearby. 

"We had ships nearby," Beryl explained. "But since the Foundation used the mobile missile system, we had no target to shoot at until it was too late."

Sandra waved the clipboard she held at Beryl, "So, this is why we are being given milk runs to Earth? When do we attack the Foundation?"

"You'll attack the Foundation when I think you're ready!" Beryl roared, "and not one second before! Have I made myself clear?"

"Certainly!" Sandra shouted as she threw the clipboard at Beryl who had to duck to avoid being struck in the head. Sandra then turned and stormed out of the throne room.

== * **SM *==**

Cargo Bay 2

Aboard the _Renegade_

"Ok," Sandra said as she watched the assembled Sailors entering the room. In the background, the ship's lasers could be heard as they sought out the enemy."The weapons officer is clearing us a path to the building. Once that is done, I'll take Brandy and Cass with me and we'll head inside the building. The rest of you will circle the building as a diversion."

The deadly song of the ship's lasers slowly faded until only one or two blasts could be heard every so often.

"That's our cue," Sandra said as she went to a wall locker. Opening it, she pulled pistols from the storage space and handed them to the other women.

"What are these?" Brandy asked. "Aren't we going to use our Sailor powers?"

"Another gift from the queen," Sandra replied coldly as she started handing out extra power cells for the pistols. "Apparently the standard Foundation troops are vulnerable to strong electric pulses. Keep your Sailor abilities as a last resort if at all possible."

With the women sufficiently armed, Sandra turned and pushed a button. With a noisy whir, the huge cargo bay doors began to open.

Sandra waved the others forward. "Let's go," she said quietly. Then, with a whisper, "Good luck to us all."

The women trudged down a small snow-frosted hill near the building housing the power grid. On the far side of the building sat a huge satellite dish that pointed straight up in the air. The dish rested upon a small squat out-building that seemed to be guarded by its larger companion. As the women gazed at the layout of the buildings a light snow began to fall. 

A snowflake landed on Sandra's nose, and she shook her head to rid herself of a light covering of fluff. Before she had taken three steps however, dark figures began to emerge from the dense copse of trees that were clustered at the bottom of the hill. Surveillance drones flew up and suddenly the intruding women were bathed in the harsh glow of spotlights. As the rest of the figures readied weapons, one raised a megaphone to his face.

"Intrusion onto the grounds of this facility is punishable by death. The man looked up at the nearest of the surveillance drones and saw the small green light which indicated that the device was recording these proceedings. Before he could say anything else however, the women interrupted.

"VENUS POWER!"

"MARS POWER!

"URANUS POWER!"

"NEPTUNE POWER!"

Victoria chimed in mentally, "SATURN POWER!"

And finally, "MOON PRISM POWER!"

The security guards were confused by the pyrotechnic display of the six transformations. The surveillance drones simply recorded all of them. 

As the transformations ended and the glow from them faded, one figure stepped forward from amidst the Sailors.

"I am the vanguard of justice! I will not allow your evil to continue to enslave the innocent! On behalf of truth and justice!" Sailor Moon shouted.

"We are pretty soldiers in sailor suits!" Mars shouted as she stepped forward to stand beside Sailor Moon, who favored her comrade with an amused smile and a small shake of her head.

At that point, the security soldiers fired their lasers, lighting up the area with bright bolts of yellow which sent the Sailors scrambling for cover.

"Back up..back up!" Sailor Moon shouted as she waved the others back. The women backed up over the crest of the hill and the security soldiers were soon lost from view. Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars soon dispatched the surveillance drones with a few well-placed shots from their pistols. 

Without their drones, the guards emerged from the foliage and started up the hill. As they came into view, the Sailors opened fire and poured a rapid stream of electrical bolts onto the sentries.

"That was easy," Venus mused as she stood up and shook the snow off.

"I'm sure there's more where that came from," Neptune replied. 

Sailor Moon knelt next to one of the guards and looked the body over. Turning his head the other direction, she quickly pulled her hand away.

"Still warm," she thought. A metallic circle peeked out from behind the dead man's ear and Sailor Moon studied it. 

"Damn," Sailor Uranus growled as she stopped to study the sentry. "These creeps use humans fitted with control implants!"

"The cyborgs figure they shouldn't have to do their own work," Sailor Moon murmured. "Let's go."

The Sailors met no resistance as they crept quietly down the hill. Soon they were brushing past the bare stems of stout bushes and stepping through patches of dead leaves.

As soon as the somber buildings that housed the power grid could be seen through the thinning trees, Sailor Moon tapped Sailor Neptune on the shoulder and pointed off in the direction of the nearest corner of the facility. She and the other Inner senshi then started forward.

Sailor Moon, Sailor Venus, and Sailor Mars stealthily stalked toward the entrance to the building. They watched for any sign of detection, listened for any sound that would indicate that those who manned this facility had discovered their presence. 

Finally, the Sailors stood before a large, thick-looking steel door. It seemed to be operated from a large circular bar built into the door itself. Sailor Venus approached and studied the mechanism. Shaking her head, she looked back at the other Sailors. "It'll take forever to crack this lock," she said.

"Well, not quite that long," Mars said as she motioned Venus away. "MARS FIRE IGNITE!" A fireball appeared at Mars' fingertips, then shot forward toward the metal door. The primal fire blasted through the door mechanism, leaving a smoldering hole where the handle had been. The door seemed to split open down the middle…

…and loud sirens began to wail. The Sailors were almost driven back by the piercing screech. Sailor Moon took the lead and started running down the dimly-lit corridor. The others quickly followed.

"I'll never go to another rock concert again as long as I live," Venus grumbled to herself as she tried to shut out the screaming alert.

== * **SM *==**

REPORT 12201911818-0091 FROM TORONTO DISTRICT

POWER MATRIX REPORTS UNAUTHORIZED ENTRY

TORONTO DISTRICT'S AIR UNITES TASKED TO NEUTRALIZE INTRUDERS

== * **SM *==**

The siren continued its screeching wail.

Sailor Moon downed another guard with a bolt from her pistol, but two more quickly took his place. The Sailors had managed to make it close to the center of the building before being stopped. They had taken cover in both sides of a corridor that crossed the main hallway, but it was beginning to dawn on Sailor Moon that they were pinned down.

A laser bolt scorched the corner at about head level, and Sailor Moon shrank back quickly. Across the hallway, she heard Venus yell, "VENUS CRESCENT BEAM…" She then flipped around into the hallway and shouted "SMASH!" and sent a burst of energy screaming down on the guards. Two laser blasts barely missed Venus as she ducked back into cover, but the damage had been done. Three guards lay prone on the floor.

"I thought I said to use your Sailor abilities as a last resort!" Sailor Moon shouted.

"If this isn't a last resort, I don't know what is!" Venus replied.

"She has a point," Mars quipped from her kneeling position next to Sailor Moon, who gave up the argument with a sigh.

"You're right," she said. "Alright." Sailor Moon peeked around the corner at the remaining guards. "I hope you're under warranty," she growled, then: "MOON STAFF!" With a bright flash, the staff appeared in Sailor Moon's hands. One of the sentries shot a laser bolt at her and Sailor Moon quickly whipped the staff into a spot to block the blast. The laser energy slammed into the staff and coursed over Sailor Moon who shuddered under the power.

But she didn't go down.

A shaken Sailor Moon then pointed the staff at the remaining guards and shouted, "MOON ZERO MAGIC!" A disk of destructive power coalesced at the tip of the staff. When enough energy had been generated, the glowing orb was blasted at the security men. It landed in front of the sentries and exploded, blasting them into the nearby walls. Sailor Moon stood her ground against the backlash of energy.

The two other Sailors emerged from the side corridor in time to see Sailor Moon charging down the main hallway toward where the guards were. A door similar to the one that had blocked their entry into the building was set into the wall behind where the guards had taken up position.

By the time the other Sailors had caught up to her, Sailor Moon was examining the door. She spared a quick glance at Mars. "We'll blast the door if we have to, but I'd rather not take the chance on damaging something that might blow the building sooner than we want to."

"Right," Mars replied. Venus meanwhile was checking the bodies of the guards. On the first, she found a plastic card attached to a key ring on the man's belt. The second body also had a card, as well as the third.

"Sailor Moon," Venus said as she handed the first few cards to her. "Perhaps one of these might work in that door." With a nod, Sailor Moon took the cards and found the card access. Swiping a card with a blue bar across the top, Sailor Moon frowned as the display flashed red with the words "ACCESS DENIED TO CLEARANCE BLUE LEVEL". The second card, this one with a green bar produced similar results. 

When Sailor Moon tried a third card, this one with a red bar across the top, the display flashed a dull green with the words, "ACCESS GRANTED – CLEARANCE LEVEL RED" The doors then got partway open before they stopped. When Sailor Moon looked at the display, she was greeted with a red flashing: "POSSIBLE SECURITY BREACH – SYSTEM SHUTDOWN". The senshi quickly slipped through the doors in case they decided to shut. 

It was then that they discovered why the alert sirens were so loud. As they stood upon a metal catwalk that clung to the cement wall of the massive room that held the power grid, they were nearly deafened by the roar of the two huge turbine-like machines below. The siren could barely be heard over the cacophony

"Great…" Sailor Moon groaned as she handed the plastic access cards back to Sailor Venus.

== * **SM *==**

Sailor Uranus stood up after the last of four sentries had been dropped. "These guys aren't too tough," she quipped to the other Sailors. Just then a laser bolt exploded near her feet and she dove to the ground.

"Halt intruders!" a voice called from the shadows near the building. Three more laser bolts slammed into the ground near the other Sailors.

"Just be glad these guys don't have cyborg-enhanced vision," Sailor Neptune remarked.

"Yeah," Uranus replied as she shot blindly at the guards. "We'd be toasted by now."

Sailor Neptune too tried to pick off a shadow-shrouded sentry, but she was answered by a laser bolt out of the darkness that drove her to a knee screaming in pain.

Seeing her friend go down, Saturn glanced at Uranus. "We have to do something," she said, the concern showing in her thoughts.

Uranus nodded. "To Hell with orders." She glared at the darkness that hid the sentries and shouted, "WORLD SHAKING!" The resulting blast of primal force pummeled the security guards and shook the building. Ignoring the silence that followed, Sailor Uranus hurried to help Sailor Neptune to her feet.

"Are you okay?" Saturn asked as she too approached.

"Yes," Neptune replied simply. "Let's get this done." She and Saturn started to walk toward the building.

"Wait," Uranus said, bring the other senshi to a quick halt. "Hear that?"

"Hear what?" Neptune asked, but got no answer as Uranus seemed absorbed by the silence.

It started as a buzz in the distance, then jumped quickly to a dull roar. Suddenly five shapes slashed with a roar through the night sky over the Sailors. The deafening roar then subsided, but it didn't go away.

"What the…" Neptune started.

"Sounds like planes," Uranus replied. "They were probably called out to get us."

"Quickly," Neptune said as she glanced at her partners, "Let's take cover against the building. If they're going to shoot at us, I'd rather they have to take shots at their own building."

"Agreed," Saturn said mentally as she started in that direction. The others followed closely behind.

The roar in the sky began to grow louder, and Uranus stopped and started scanning the sky behind the senshi.

Neptune stopped and looked back. "What are you doing?"

"Get going!" 

Before Neptune could protest, the distant roar again became a deafening scream as the fighter planes started their run. Infrared scanners aboard the planes locked onto the lone senshi and missiles were launched with an almost silent whoosh. The missiles streaked toward their target trailing a thin trail of smoke behind them.

"WORLD SHAKING!" The primal energy rocketed into the air and shattered the incoming missiles which burst into flame. The attack of the sky senshi continued as though the missiles had never existed and bathed the attacker in a searing barrage of energy. The plane blossomed into flames and showered the ground nearby with shards of molten metal.

The audible roar seemed to waver and Uranus could see the engines of the craft as they banked away. She quickly hurried to the other Scouts and motioned them back against the building. 

"One down." Neptune remarked as she ran.

"Yes," Uranus replied, "and we're about to take care of the rest."

"How?" Saturn asked mentally.

"Watch and learn," Uranus said. When they reached a corner of the building, Uranus had the others squeeze tightly into the crevice and knelt in front of them. "Okay," she said. "When those fighters come in for their next pass, we all fire on them. They'll have to come in on a tight pass if they are going to have any chance to hit us."

The dull roar again started to rise and Uranus soon spotted the running lights on the planes as they turned to make their run at the facility. 

"Get ready," Uranus said. The planes banked in a lazy arc and started in a downward glide toward the metal building.

The planes settled into a flight path just above the tops of the trees. "…ready…" Uranus said steadily.

The fighters rocketed into the sky near the senshi and cannon fire erupted from them, splattering the ground around the Sailors with shrapnel.

Before the gout of cannon shells, Uranus shouted: "WORLD SHAKING!" and was quickly followed by "DEEP SUBMERGE!" 

"DEATH RIBBON DEVASTATION!" echoed through the minds of the senshi as Sailor Saturn struck. The primal energies of Uranus and Neptune spiraled upward followed by razor-like ribbons of Saturn's attack. Two planes were impaled and shredded metal showered the building. 

Saturn's attack tore through one of the remaining planes and the eruption of fire blasted into the belly of the last fightercraft, and its broken body plummeted in a spiral into the satellite dish. The explosion of the remains of the plane and the satellite dish sent a plume of orange-red fire streaming onto the air. Metal panels on the roof of the building were ripped off and vaulted into the air. 

"Hey," Sailor Moon called from outside the main entrance. "Let's get out of here! We're about to see an encore of that back there," she said as she pointed to the still expanding fireball.

The Sailors broke into a run and fled the scene to the safety of their ship.

== * **SM *==**

Along the skyline west of Toronto, a flash of light lit the night sky. A shockwave shot out from the shattered shell of the power grid facility and crumbled buildings and blasted away glass for miles around. 

The small sullen Negaverse ship rocketed away from the chaos below.

== * **SM *==**

Near Orbit of Earth

The Renegade glided through space on the night side of the Earth as the Sailors made preparations ot jump into the Negaverse.

In the command module of the gloomy ship, the women stood outlined by the red and yellow light glaring from the control panels. A concerned Sandra paced the cramped room. 

"Status report," Sandra ordered.

"All systems go," Cass replied wearily. This was the third time Sandra had asked.

"Any pursuit?" Also a repeat question.

"None," Bethany replied from what passed for the sensor station.

"That's weird," Sandra mused. "We blow up their major power grid for an entire continent, and we don't even get pursuit?"

"I'll see your 'weird' and raise you a 'bizarre,'" Bethany said quietly as she stepped back from the scanners. "Take a look at this…" The women gathered around to peer through the scope.

The International Space Station could be seen as it's lattice-like structure rotated slowly in space. Attached to the structure of the station was a cylindrical shape. Sandra recognized it as the Schultz Telescope, which had been launched in 2002 and attached to the Russian portion of the station. 

She did not recognize the blood-red glow emanating from both ends of the telescope, nor the dull red pool that was slowly spreading across the Earth's atmosphere from a spot directly under where the space station was situated.

The women watched as the abnormal color oozed over more of the atmosphere. Pools of dull-red were now forming over each of the continents and slowly, the flows all merged until the entire planet had taken on a rust-like pallor.

Looking back at the space station, Sandra could see that the Schultz Telescope was still adorned by its unholy halo. The atmosphere seemed to shimmer as if there were water-like ripples being formed from somewhere, but just as the shimmering seemed to start from nowhere, they dissolved into nowhere.

"What do we do now?" Melissa asked quietly.

"Now we head back to the Negaverse and report what we've seen," was Sandra's response, which received a chorus of murmured protests from the others.

"We know nothing about this," Sandra said pointing at the sensors, "whatever this is. We have no idea what it is doing to Earth right now or what its removal might do. The only people who might have a clue about this, as far as I know, is the Negaverse, so that's where we are going."

With that, the _Renegade spiraled away from the blood-red planet._

== * **SM *==**

Castle Beryl

The senshi were greeted in the throne room by an unexpected visitor. 

"Mariah!" Sandra shouted as she flew into her friend's arms. "She pulled away long enough to stutter an excited, "How do you feel?"

"Well," Mariah replied as she looked down into the eyes of her friend, who had pulled away a bit but still held her hands in a near-vice-like grip. "Thanks to the doctors and our ability to clone living bones and organs using molds, I have a bone plate in my back. It replaces the ribs that were shattered."

"And Amy said you could return to duty?" Sandra asked with a glance over at Amy, who glanced up at the mention of her name.

"Only as long as she continues to take her medications," Amy said. Sandra glanced at Mariah questioningly.

"It'll help the muscles graft to the bone plate," Mariah explained.

"If the love fest is over," Queen Beryl said as she approached the group. "We have a new problem."

"What is it?" Sandra asked.

"It's the Foundation," Beryl said simply. "I have underestimated their energy reserves. They had enough energy to put the Slave Shield in place."

"How do we knock it out?" Cass inquired.

"You destroy it at the source," Beryl said. "You'd have to attack the space station and cut the power to the telescope…however, that's not the problem I am talking about…"

"Okay," Sandra said, her impatience beginning to show.

"The only reason the Foundation is using the Slave Shield is they are securing Earth so that we can not attack it.

It also means that they don't have to keep forces there to defend the planet."

"What…" Sandra whispered.

"An invasion…" Amy gasped.

"Yes," Beryl said. "The Luna Foundation is coming to the Negaverse. In fact, they may already be on their way."

FINI

# Fanfic ã1999 – John Brengman and Artemis Publishing

Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, 

ã 1992 by Toei Animation Co Ltd. and based on Kodansha's

manga production of "Sailor Moon", written by Naoko Takeuchi

This fanfic is freely distributed. 

Release date: October 20, 1999

Release: 3rd Edition: February 10, 2001


	17. SX#17 - High Tide

Sailor X #17High Tide

By: John Brengman

London Megacity2:30 am

The cries of the newborn child echoed through the ramshackle building. Within the old building that had been a department store in better days Two men emerged from the shadow-filled room. One of the men wore a white lab coat and wire glasses. The other was dressed in casual slacks and a shirt. Both men searched the darkness cautiously, as if the cries of the child in the room were dangerous.

"Thanks for doing this doc," the man said as he pulled a cigarette from his coat pocket. "I don't know where I would've gotten a doctor this quickly if it weren't for you."

"You mean you don't know where you would have found someone who would perform an illegal surgery or make sure that neither you, your wife, or baby had Lucifer Chips implanted."

"Uhh, doc," the man stammered, fearful that perhaps he had mistaken the intentions of the doctor. 

"Don't worry," the doctor replied quietly. "That's what the Resistance does. Anything we can do to keep the Foundation from getting control of more people. Have you thought of a name for your daughter?"

"Yes," came the reply. "My wife is naming her Jennifer, after her god-mother…"

A spherical shape floated in the air high above the wrecked city street, its electronic eye scanning the area. It's sensors passed over one building, then switched to infrared and flickered over the building once again. Satisfied with the cold blue lifelessness that it found, the surveillance drone turned its attention to the next building…a four-story abandoned store. It started a standard scan of the structure and found nothing.

Switching to infrared, it scanned the building again and discovered a blob of heat near the base of the structure.. With a quick pulse from its engine, the drone glided around to scan the site from another angle. It then switched back to its standard sensors and scanned again.

A micro-transmitter activated. 

SURVEILANCE DRONE DN109-329 REPORTING FROM GRID 185.24 HEATHROW SECTION.

NON-REGISTERED HUMANOIDS DETECTED. NO CONTROL CIRCUITS DETECTED.

POSSIBILITY OF RESISTANCE INVOLVEMENT: 47 PERCENT

Having reported its suspicions to the police, the drone continued on to the next building.

**== * SM *==**

The crackling flare of the fires burned bright as the police flame-throwers doused the broken building. The flames hungrily devoured the scattered wood, paper, and cloth that lay strewn about the premises. The strobing of the red and blue lights from the police cars could be seen for blocks around, and overhead, surveillance drones recorded the spectacle for the Foundation.

Above the din of the fires and the wail of the police sirens came the desperate cries of a man and his wife. Then, in an instant, fear and anguish bloomed as a plume of fire ripped through the core of the building. Mingled within the chaos were the piercing screams of an infant.

**== * SM *==**

The silvery shapes floated far above the shadowy surface of the Negaverse. Slowly they pushed through the gray clouds and the perpetually black skies. Far below, the lights of the city below glimmered up as if trying to hide. At one end of the cluster of lights, bright beams of searchlights stabbed upward into the darkness in lazy waving arcs.

"They're out there," Queen Beryl mused as she looked skyward.

"I don't see them," Cass said worriedly.

"Don't worry," Beryl replied smoothly. "Scanners say that they're up there…" She pointed at a gap between the bright shafts of the searchlights.

"Your troops are ready to be deployed," Sandra reported as she joined Cass and the queen on the balcony in one of the "eyes" of the castle. "The left flank is commanded by Malachite, the center by Nephrite…"

Beryl noticed the pause. "And the right flank?" She asked.

"Scaramanga," Sandra spat.

Beryl turned to face Sandra and fixed her with a stern gaze. "Is there something wrong?" She asked. "Is there some reason that Scaramanga should not command the right flank?"

"We've met before," Cass quipped.

"We've met," Sandra agreed, "and not under the best of circumstances."

"Whatever," Beryl said simply. "Scaramanga is about the best leader that we have now that Zoisite and Jedite are dead. I need him, and I will need you to get over whatever you have against him because you will have to cooperate with him."

"Why?" Sandra inquired.

"Because I want you and the rest of the Sailors to split up into groups of three and join my army groups." Sandra was about to protest but Beryl continued. "This is the break you have been waiting for. Those are three troop ships and a command vessel. If those ships are fully loaded, and with the Slave Shield around Earth up, there is only one place those troops could have come from."

The implication sank in. "The Foundation," Sandra breathed. Beryl nodded gravely.

"If we can tie them down," Sandra started.

"…or better yet, destroy them," Cass chimed in.

"Then there'll be that many fewer troops when you launch your raid on the Foundation," Beryl said as she turned and walked out of the balcony. The two women quickly followed and started talking about which Sailor would be assigned where.

**== * SM *==**

A slight fog covered the ground of the huge maintenance bay located under the castle. Metal-reinforced ramps dominated one side of the room and would take everything from vehicles to large numbers of soldiers to the foot of the castle's southern side…just to one side of the "jaws" of the garish stone structure.

Now the place bustled with soldiers checking rifles and ammunition clips and making sure they were ready to provide a fitting welcome to the "guests" their officers said was on the way.

The Sailors were grouped together on a walkway overlooking the entire scene. As the controlled fury of an army readying for war roiled below, the women were making the decision of which of them would go with which army.

"Uranus, Neptune," Sailor Moon said. "You will team up with Malachite."

Neptune nodded in acknowledgement. The others gave no sign that they'd even heard the instructions. Working with someone who in another place had been a deadly foe was hard to get used to.

"Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars," continued Sailor Moon, "you'll be teamed with Nephrite."

"Oh damn," Mars growled.

"What is it?" Sailor Jupiter asked.

"Nephrite's a scumbag," Mars replied.

"They're all losers," Uranus replied stonily. "What's your point?"

Sailor Moon cleared her throat, bringing everyone's attention back to her.

"The people running the Negaverse might be losers here just as they were in our universe," Sailor Moon said. "But right now, they are our best chance to get our queen back." Sailor Moon fought back a tear as she remembered her inability to save Neo-Queen Serenity from the cyborg who kidnapped her.

"So," she continued. "We're going to do what we can to help them for now, and that means splitting our power among their army groups.. Now, that being said, I, Venus and…oh Hell…"

"What?" Mars asked.

"Where's Mercury?" Sailor Moon asked.

"She was just here," Jupiter murmured as she looked around along with the rest of the Sailors.

Sailor Moon gazed down at the continuing bustle below. "We don't have time to search for her," she said. "The armies are about to move out. Venus, you and I will have to join Scaramanga without her."

The leader of the senshi breathed a heavy sigh. She had never been in a full-blown war. None of them had.

"Let's do this," she said before starting down the stairs that would take her and the others to the gathering armies.

"Let's do this for Neo-Queen Serenity."

**== * SM *==**

_"You see me now a veteran_

_of a thousand psychic wars…"_

-Blue Oyster Cult

The hours of training in the Foundation could not prepare the two Sailors for the carnage that awaited them. Almost from the start of the battle, human waves of soldiers lunged toward the defending positions manned by the combination of the volunteers from Earth and the meager forces of the Negaverse's home army.

Sailor Neptune backed up further as a splattering of lasers spluttered across the ground where she had just stood. She was about to call upon the powers of her patron planet when she remembered Sailor Moon's final order: "Don't use your senshi powers unless you absolutely need to."

"Damn!" Neptune growled as she unleashed a deadly spray of laser bolts at a group of soldiers that were rushing toward her. Sailor Uranus was climbing a rocky outcrop that had once been a building of some sort and had her back turned to the fray. It was up to her and the other defenders near her.

The assault that Neptune unleashed sliced into the oncoming soldiers, most of whom collapsed bloodily to the soggy ground. One of the nearby soldiers shot a blast toward the next group of attackers. His lethal burst tore through the neck of his unlucky target and the soldier was thrown back, his blood splattering the barren turf mere seconds before his body landed.

The Negaverse defender who had scored that lucky hit was the next to become a casualty as the three people next to his target returned fire. One bright burst of energy burned a hole through his skull while another seared his right arm from his torso. The man's lifeless body fell off the rocky ledge.

Neptune looked up just long enough to see the falling corpse dropping right toward her. With a strangled yelp, she scrambled out of the way and the body fell behind her.

Laser blasts pelted the rock piled around Sailor Uranus. "Will you do something about those soldiers?" She yelled.

"Trying," Neptune replied grimly as she dropped two more on-coming attackers.

Uranus heard the whine of a laser pistol and looked down to see Sailor Neptune pinging at the enemy.

"Use your senshi abilities!" Uranus shouted.

"Sailor Moon said…" but Neptune's reply was lost as a hail of laser bolts slammed into the rubble around Sailor Uranus.

"To Hell with orders," Uranus growled. "She's not here getting her ass shot at….WORLD SHAKING!"

Neptune saw Uranus glow as she collected the energy that coalesced around her. "Hit the deck!" She screamed. Soldiers quit firing their weapons and dove to the ground where they were. The attacking soldiers kept up their advance.

The angry yellow glow surrounded Sailor Uranus and then roared twisting and turning forward. As the devouring energy rumbled over the landscape it slammed into everything in its way. Buildings were reduced to rubble.

Living things were reduced to nothing.

Finally, the roar of the destructive attack faded. The Sailors and their group were largely alone. Every so often a laser blast would splatter at the nearby ground, but Uranus had mauled the mass of humanity closest to the Sailors and their group, and the enemy was now in search of easier targets. 

**== * SM *==**

The Shuttle Bay aboard the _Serena_

Rachel entered the shuttle bay of the Serena and strode toward the squat shapes that sat at the far end of the room. The few personnel that worked here ignored her; she was a familiar sight.

Rachel walked past the elongated hull of a cargo ship and continued undaunted toward the nearest shuttle. A technician wearing the yellow one-piece jumpsuit of the shuttle bay workers approached. "Is there something I can help you with?" He asked. Rachel responded by pulling a small notepad from within the folds of her shirt.

"The captain wants a system-wide check done of all shuttle bay systems," Rachel replied as she tossed the pad to the man. "You will see to it personally."

"Yes maam," the technician replied as he caught the pad and briefly looked it over. Everything appeared to be in order, and he turned to go about his task.

Rachel was left alone, and she continued toward the nearby shuttle.

Technician Isoru Kaneda looked over the note pad that Rachel had given him thoughtfully. Something was out of place, upon further inspection. He had turned to head back to ask the young woman about it, but she had vanished. Instead, he headed to the side of the room and started up the stairs that led to the shuttle bay's offices.

Pushing through a door, he tossed the pad down next to another one that was laying on the counter next to the main control panels. He then sat down and started going through the diagnostic. Yes, the bay's runway lights checked out. The main lighting was working, the auxiliaries were on stand-by, the back-up power was operational. He toggled the switch for the bay's intercom. "Prepare to test shuttle bay doors."

Rachel slipped into the pilot's chair in the flight module of the shuttle and started activating the controls. As soon as the onboard computer was switched on, a voice said, "Please enter access code."

"Mercury-zero-zero-four," Rachel replied. The computer responded by activating the ship's flight controls.

"Activate compass," Rachel ordered. "Activate novice mode. Activate voice mode. Prepare for launch."

At that moment, "Prepare to test shuttle bay doors," resounded out in the shuttle bay.

Technician Kaneda made some other checks on the systems in preparation for the test of the shuttle bay doors. The hydrolics looked good, and the maintenance team's last report on the door suggested no problems. Still, protocol demanded that in cases when it was feasible, the shuttle bay doors had to be opened, then closed. 

"Sir," came a voice over the speaker mounted on the control board. "We're ready to run the test on the bay doors."

"Alright," Kaneda said as he slapped the maintenance report down atop the two discarded notepads. "Go ahead."

"Aye sir," came the reply. Soon after, the doors began to open.

Kaneda started to pick up the maintenance report again, then stopped.

Two signatures stared up from the notepads peeking out from under the report. While "Sandra Tsukino" could clearly be read from both of them, the writing looked nothing alike. Kaneda picked up the maintenance report and studied the signatures. One was on an order closing the shuttle bay until further notice. The other was the one he had just been given.

A forgery!

Kaneda hurriedly toggled the switch to the microphone. "Close the bay doors! Now!"

"Too late sir," came the reply. At about that time, several red lights began flashing and a computer started an alert.

"UNAUTHORIZED LAUNCH IN PROGRESS."

**== * SM *==**

"Hold your positions!" Nephrite shouted as a laser bolt scorched the air above his head. A second bolt forced him back into cover behind the corner of a shattered stone hovel.

"Can't you Sailors do something?" Nephrite asked Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Saturn as they huddled next to him. Sailor Mars unleashed a couple of quick shots at the advancing infantrymen before she had to duck behind the building across the road from where the others were pinned.

"We could…" Jupiter replied.

"Our orders," Saturn murmured quietly as she shivered from the sounds of the nearby gunfire.A stray laser bolt splashed into the ground in front of her and she backed herself even further against the wall.

With a flash of light the stone above Nephrite dissolved into rubble and started to fall. Sailor Jupiter quickly ripped him aside to save his life. Nephrite collected himself, then nodded to Jupiter with a smile. "We need to go," he said. The remaining defenders threw bolt after bolt at the advancing soldiers. "They're going to overrun us here."

Nephrite started to leave but Jupiter stopped him. "If we retreat a whole lot of people are going to die, and we may not have the people left to form another line further back."

"So," Nephrite said. "What do you propose we do?"

"Something I should have done at the beginning of this," Jupiter growled. "A certain girl is in for a bitch session when this is over….JUPITER GRAVITON POWER!" A force wave blasted from Jupiter ripping the ground apart with a roar. The building in front of her collapsed into rubble as the turf heaved under it. The force from Jupiter's attack reached out and crumpled the advancing line of soldiers. The men nearest to where the blast was aimed simply imploded into a bloody pulp. Others slightly further away perished as the flesh was ripped away from their bones.

However, despite being mauled by the gravitic force of the jovian senshi, the attackers closed the hole and continued the advance. 

"Your turn, Mars," Jupiter yelled as she helped Sailor Saturn to her feet.

Mars gave a slight nod, then backed a short distance away from the building. A quick smattering of lasers pelted the ground around her as she came into view of the enemy, but Sailtor Mars held her ground.

"MARS CELESTIAL FIRE SURROUND!" Disc-shaped bolts of fire shot out and incinerated a few of the nearest soldiers. Mars was forced to retreat, but a laser shot slammed into her, throwing her against the wall.

Saturn turned to go to her fallen comrade, but Sailor Jupiter stopped her with a firm hand across her path. "Nail those bastards first," she said, "or we're all finished."

Saturn spared a concerned glance at Mars' crumpled form before she too stepped out into the line of fire. A rain of bullets showered the earth and Saturn nearly dove back into cover. As she was about to do so howver, her gaze carried over to where Mars still lay motionless. 

Nerves steeled, two eyes glowered angrily at the oncoming enemy. In a cold voice that seemed too loud to come from such a small frame, the command came forth:

"DEATH RIBBON DEVASTATION!" Razor-sharp ribbons of deadly energy exploded from Sailor Saturn and roared toward the nearby soldiers, who continued to advance despite the doom that rushed toward them. The surge of deadly energy knifed through man after man, tearing at flesh and bone.

Seeing that perhaps the tide of the battle in this area at least may have turned, Nephrite ordered his soldiers to continue firing.

Jupiter started toward Mars, but Nephrite stopped her. "You help your friend," he said. "I'll tend to Sailor Mars. Seeing that Saturn had already called for her glaive, Jupiter hurried to join her as Nephrite ran toward Sailor Mars.

"I just hope she'll be okay," Jupiter thought as she sent her hand knifing into one soldier's neck. Another soldier cracked his rifle across her back, but she merely turned and dropped the man with a righthook to the chin. 

Saturn was making quick work of the soldiers near her as her weapon sliced through the light armor the soldiers wore. As the razor-sharp blade passed it left bloody trail in its wake. Saturn performed her deadly dance with the glaive in a silence as complete as the death she dealt out.

**== * SM *==**

The relentless pounding of the advancing infantry drove Scaramanga's troops back upon the castle and toward the cliffs west of the leering visage. Sailor Moon spared a quick glance in that direction. The skull-like stare seemed to glow red, glistening with the blood being spilt to defend it.

A bolt of searing heat whizzed by her ear, shaking Sailor Moon back to the matter at hand…finding suitable cover from which to continue living, much less fighting.

An outcropping of rocks provided shelter from the non-stop hammering of lasers. The rest of Scaramanga's troops tried to stand their ground, but they were outnumbered. Sailor Venus dove out of the path of a deadly blast behind the same rocky crag and looked up at Sailor Moon.

"All this fighting is murder on my hair," she quipped.

Sailor Moon cringed as a blast ripped through the top of the rocks. "That among other things," she stammered.

"What are we doing hiding here?" Venus asked. "Use your powers!"

"No," Sailor Moon replied firmly. "We want to catch them off-guard when we use them."

"That's bull, and you know it," Venus stated.

Just then, the rocks the Sailors were crouched behind shattered under a concentrated barrage of energy. Stone shards rained down on the women as they turned to run.

As she turned to flee, Sailor Moon saw the yellowish burst of energy that was the trademark of Uranus' abilities.

"Damn!" Sailor Moon growled. She continued running toward the cliffs, where the rest of the defending soldiers were trying to form up in a final defensive position. A laser bolt blasted at Sailor Moon and caught her left shoulder, and she fell forward and grabbed at her now-useless arm.

Sailor Venus fought desperately to get to her friend and unleashed a torrent of fire upon the ever-nearer enemy that gave her enough time to reach the fallen Sailor.

"Come on, Sailor Moon," Venus said with a thin smile as she hauled her friend to her feet. "No time to sleep on the job!" Together, along with a few of the straggling defenders, they reached Scaramanga and the remaining volunteers.

"Nice of you to join us," Scaramanga smirked as the two women stumbled up to him.

"Your 'help' was so appreciated," Sailor Moon shouted over the whine of laser fire. 

Scaramanga ignored the barb. "It seems the enemy chose to hit the right flank hard." He pointed toward the center of the nearby city, where the effects of Mars' attacks could still be seen. "Unfortunately, it seems your comrades are pushing the entire army this way." Scaramanga shot at two enemy soldiers.

With no place to hide, the right flank quickly became a meat-grinder as each side tried to wear the other down. 

"What can we do?" Sailor Moon yelled. The soldier she was shooting at took a laser in the leg and dropped, his face writhing in pain.

"Nothing much unless you can use your powers," Scaramanga replied as he continued to pelt the enemy with fire.

"Use them, damn it!" Venus shouted desperately.

"No!" came the reply. Sailor Moon took a step back, and it proved to be one step too far.The patch of ground gave way and she toppled into the chasm with a shriek.

Scaramanga and Sailor Venus quickly reached out, and Scaramanga managed to grab Sailor Moon by the laft arm before she was lost.

Sailor Moon screamed as the fear and terror of falling down the chasm was replaced by the searing pain roaring through her shoulder. Her other hand clawed uselessly at the rocky cliff, and through her haze she heard, "VENUS LOVE CHAIN ENCIRCLE!"

"No…" Sailor Moon managed to groan as she lost consciousness.

**== * SM *==**

Shuttle 2

Rachel pulled the control stick back just in time to avoid the rocky ground that rushed up toward the shuttle. Soon the horizon fell away and Rachel was nearly pinned to her seat as the ship vaulted into a loop.

"I thought the autopilot was on!" 

"Use of cockpit flight controls deactivates autopilot systems," the computer replied.

"Activate the autopilot!" Rachel yelled. The computer beeped in response and the shuttle levelled itself out of its ascent. A computerized compass appeared on a nearby computer screen.

"Choose course, speed and attitude," the computer said. The compass flashed expectantly.

Rachel looked through the windows of the shuttle at her surroundings. Ribbons of light flickered far below. The massive hulk of Castle Beryl that towered over the embattled troops looked like alarge sullen stone.

"Course three-one-two…" Rachel said slowly. "Standard speed…define the term 'attitude'.

"Attitude is the angle of descent or ascent," the computer replied.

Rachel finally managed to get the ship pointed on a course that would take it over the remains of the ruined city. While the shattered shells of the buildings fell away behind the shuttle, Rachel donned a thurster pack, which looked like an oversized backpack..As she checked the controls, Rachel scanned the area that the shuttle flew over.

Finally, Rachel toggled the switch opening the shuttle's side door.

"Computer," she said. "Return home." Then Rachel activated the thrusters on the pack and jumped out of the shuttle. 

As she fell through the air, she shouted "MERCURY POWER!" The thruster pack was lit but the blue glow of the transformation sequence.

Sailor Mercury landed hard and was forced to one knee. Standing, she unbuckled the thruster pack and tossed it aside. The armies had fought over this patch of land during the initial stages of the battle and now there was nothing left here but the shells of buildings and the cold prone forms of the fallen. 

"So much death…" Mercury mused quietly as she surveyed the carnage. "They won't mind if I add some more then." With that she clasped her hands to her chest, then threw them straight out from her body…

"MERCURY ICE SHROUD!"

A brilliant blue flash blossomed through the area. An icy chill surrounded Mercury as she was enveloped by the azure luminescence that comprised her most deadly power. The ground the blue semi-sphere touched turned pale as the life energy of even the microbes within the dirt was stripped away. 

Slowly the sphere grew. It shredded the rocket pack, devouring the fuel with crackling flashes of lightning. As the sphere expanded, wisps of pale energy began to swirl around its perimeter. As they hit anything that contained energy, they demolished it. One such ribbon writhed from the air toward the corpse of a soldier. With a flash, the flesh was scoured away and the bones were pounded to dust. The tendril of death then rocketed away as the sphere itself moved over where the body had been.

"So much death…" Mercury mused. Then she noticed something missing. The hard stone-like core of evil that had accompanied the effect was gone. Mercury's heart leaped…SHE had channeled the sphere!

Which meant…and as she thought it, the sphere started to increase its rate of growth.

As the sphere continued to grow, buildings were reduced to rubble. Metal rusted, then fell apart, and the bodies of the dead returned to the dust from whence they came. Then one of the ravenous bands of energy that convulsed around the sphere slammed into a live soldier who was one of the rear-guard. The man barely had time to scream before his already decomposing body slumped to the ground.

"Yes," Mercury mused, her body and mind drinking in all of the energy from the deadly dome. "So much death… " The sphere sped up even more, and plowed into the ranks of the invading army like a pack of hungry wolves.

The invading army continued to press forward despite the doom that towered behind them. The sparkling blue of the sphere flashed now and then as energy that was absorbed cascaded along the deadly walls. A high-pitched roar boomed from the sphere as if there was a tornado nearby."Perhaps there was a tornado," Venus thought as she watched the sphere getting larger, "…a tornado of a different kind."

The defenders stood stubbornly and poured laser fire onto the enemy. Sailor Moon now joined in and added her abilities to those of her fellow Sailors. Still, even as the tide of battle shifted finally in their favor, Sailor Moon could not help but look at the still-expanding sphere.

"Why are they still fighting?" Venus shouted as she felled a nearby soldier with her laser. The body fell in front of Scaramanga, who hauled it up by its hair and turned its head. Behind the left ear, a flat silver disk was embedded in the skin. Only the top of the device could be seen.

"They're being controlled!" Scaramanga yelled. "Unless they are given different orders or are killed, they won't stop!"

The laser fire was growing less intense however. Most of the attackers were dead either from a laser bolt or the icy cold of the death sphere. Sailor Venus and Sailor Moon were firing at the last few enemy soldiers nearby when they saw the other Sailors approaching.

"Well, we found Mercury," Sailor Uranus quipped.

"That's not funny," Sailor Moon hissed. "That sphere can kill us just as quick as a laser."

"What can we do about it?" Sailor Jupiter asked.

"I can only think of one thing that might do it," Sailor Moon replied slowly as the sphere continued to expand. "MOON STAFF!" Light flared and the Moon Staff, a longer version of the Moon Scepter appeared in Sailor Moon's hands.

As she pointed the staff at the sphere, Sailor Moon shouted, "MOON ZERO MAGIC!" A disk of destructive magic appeared at the tip of the staff, but this time, it became a stream of energy that poured out of the staff and surrounded the death sphere.

"What the…" Uranus mouthed quietly.

"She's drawing continuously off the staff," Venus replied. 

"She can't," Neptune said, concern creeping into her voice. "If she draws too much off the Silver Imperium Crystal at once, she'll die."

Sailor Venus started toward her friend but then stopped as the statuesque form of Queen Beryl appeared next to Sailor Moon.

Beryl seemed to survey her surroundings coldly for a moment, then looked at Sailor Moon.

"What are you doing?" Beryl asked.

There was a pause long enough that Beryl thought she wasn't going to get an answer. Just as she was about to repeat her query, Sailor Moon replied, "I'm saving our hides. Someone has to stop Mercury."

"You can't," Beryl replied calmly. "You don't have the power."

"I wouldn't have to try if you had cured her in the first place," Sailor Moon growled.

Beryl slowly walked behind Sailor Moon to stand by her right shoulder. The light from the energy stream flowing from the staff gave Beryl a ghost-like appearance.

"I hate to break this to you," Beryl said, "but Sailor Mercury is cured."

"That can't be…" Sailor Moon gasped.

"Oh, but it is," Beryl said coldly. "She can now channel her powers and control them at will, and now they feed off of the hatred she has inside herself."

"Which is why I have to stop her," Sailor Moon said as sweat began to form on her face. 

"Stop her?" Beryl said. "Not likely. With her power, she can blast all of us off this cliff with a single thought. You're barely holding her back with that rock of yours."

"How do you know all this?"

"I saw into her mind," Beryl replied simply. "I know that girl as if she were my daughter, and I know that the anger and hate that power her are nearly endless."

"Well that's _certainly nice to know," Sailor Moon said angrily. "What do you propose we do about it?"_

"You just keep doing what you're doing," Beryl said as she reached out and grabbed Sailor Moon's arm. "I'll do the rest." Beryl closed her eyes…

"So much death…"

Sailor Mercury felt like she was floating in a bright blue haze. Energy ribbons flowed inward and splashed against her body noiselessly. She felt naked. Glancing down, she thought she saw clothing…her Sailor uniform…but she could not be sure…. She could not see clearly. It was so quiet. Too quiet.

"So much death…"

Mercury could feel the outer edge of the death sphere and could sense something trying to push back against the outward force she was creating. A minor push against the opposing force told Mercury that whatever it was was no threat. Whatever it was would soon be cold and lifeless, along with the other living things she sensed along that part of the sphere.

"So much death…"

Rachel reveled in the power that flowed inward. So much energy! So much power! And she controlled it all…the power of life and most importantly, death. There was so much pain to share with the world…with everything that lived…

"So much…"

There was a new presence. New, yet familiar. It simply appeared within the center of the sphere, within the fortresses, within the walls…

"Rachel," the woman's voice said. Rachel barely recognized it. "You have done well. It's time to stop."

"No," Rachel thought. "So much death…"

"I know," Beryl said. "There is a lot of death out there. However, you will never learn how to refine your powers further if you do not stop the sphere."

The bluish haze that surrounded Sailor Mercury seemed to brighten in a momentary defiance, but then slowly, the haze started to grow dark.

The glow around Queen Beryl faded as the sphere began to recede. Sailor Moon lowered her staff and breathed a sigh of relief.

"This isn't done yet," Beryl stated simply.

"What do you mean?" Venus asked as she approached with the other Sailors.

"They haven't gone yet," Beryl said as she pointed to the clouds, where several shapes were descending from the gray ships that still hung in the sky.

Sailor Moon was the first to recognize the shapes as they floated down through the blackened clouds. "Oh shit," she whispered as she grabbed for her laser. "Cybers!" She fired a couple of blasts which bounced off one of the descending cyborgs. The other Sailors readied themselves for the attack.

"VENUS CRESCENT BEAM SMASH!" Sailor Venus shouted. The thin energy ribbon she released rocketed into the air and splashed against Cybermars, who did not react to the attack. The searing energy burned the cyborg's chute however, and sent it plummeting to the ground.

Other attacks that the Sailors heaved at the approaching cyborgs missed their targets, and a rain of laser fire from the few remaining volunteers did no damage to the cyborgs themselves, and not enough damage to their parachutes to mean much.

Cybermoon was the first to land, and it was pelted with lasers as it released itself from its chute. "You are identified as criminals who have committed acts of terrorism against the Luna Foundation. The sentence for these crimes is death."

"Preparing witness transcript for transmission preparatory to carrying out the death sentence," Cybermercury said as it landed.

"Fire," Cybermoon ordered.

What followed was the most grueling battle that the seven women had ever been in their young careers as crime fighters. Even with the help of Queen Beryl and her three generals, the Sailors could feel the energy they called forth for their attacks as it rippled over exhausted muscles. Minds were dulled by the hours spent trying to survive against an enemy that seemed unstoppable. Then, once that enemy seemed beaten, it arose again, like a monster to slay again.

Still, the Sailor soldiers fought on, but with each moment, Sailor Moon began to see the small mistakes she and her friends were making. Soon one of those mistakes was going to cost the group.

Then it happened. Sailor Venus launched an attack that sailed wide of Cyberneptume, who responded by launching her own attack. Instead of dropping back and slightly to her left, Venus dove to her left and lost her footing. She crashed to a heap practically right under the barrel of Cybermoon's arm-mounted blaster.

"The criminals will surrender," the cyborg said, "or this humanoid will perish."

Sailor Mercury staggered to her feet and stared out at the devastation that surrounded her. The scene would have been serene were it not for the fact that a small city had once been here. Now, there were no streets, no buildings…nothing to indicate that anything had ever lived on the plains south of Castle Beryl.

Off in the distance, Mercury could see flashes of angry light. A battle of sorts still raged. Activating her visor, Sailor Mercury scanned the area and swathe other Sailors in their desperate struggle against their cyborg foes. Suddenly, Sailor Venus launched an attack at one of the cyborgs and missed. When Venus tried to dodge the cyboprg's return strike, she stumbled and fell heavily to the dirt.

Mercury saw Cybermoon aim her weapon at Venus' head. A surge of rage whipped through her as she shouted "MERCURY ICE SHARD!" A sharp wicked-looking icy projectile coalesced in Mercury's hand. She paused staring at it for a second as if she didn't know what to do next. The shard pulsed with an inner energy that had not been there the last time she had used this power. 

"No time to worry about that now," Mercury murmured to herself as she pulled back, then flung the shard toward Cybermoon.

Sailor Moon and the rest of the defenders stood transfixed as Cybermoon held the barrel of its gun pointed at Sailor Venus. "I am waiting," it said. "The criminals will surrender, or this humanoid will perish."

"Don't do it Sailor Moon," Jupiter hissed. "We can beat these creeps!" A similar sentiment floated around the Sailors, and Sailor Moon even heard Queen Beryl's voice.

"Don't surrender." She said. "They'll kill her anyway, and you along with her."

It was not enough. Even as Beryl muttered her advice, Venus could see the fight go out of Sailor Moon's eyes. It had been too exhausting a fight…too much death, too much fear…

The Moon Staff dropped lightly from Sailor Moon's hand and began to topple forward…

The Sailors watched stunned as the staff fell toward the ground…

The generals of the Negaverse and their queen snarled, ready to continue the attack without the Sailors.

Then, something caught Cybermoon in the back and ripped nearly completely through the cyborg's body.The projectile then shattered, spraying the damaged machine with a blue shower of energy that poured over it. Sailor Venus quickly scrambled out of the way as the destructive energy cascaded toward the ground. Cybermoon collapsed in front of Sailor Venus just as Cybermars exploded in a burst of blue fury. 

Wasting no time, Cybervenus turned to the others. "Retreat immediately." Its thrusters roared to life and the cyborg leapt into the air toward the hovering ships. The other cyborgs soon followed under a hail of laser fire from the volunteer soldiers.

Sailor Mercury saw the cyborgs retreating and a growl rumbled deep within her throat. If they were allowed to escape, they'd be back again and again. They never stopped, and never would as long as they were alive.

With that thought, Mercury clasped her hands to her chest, then threw them straight out from her body…

"MERCURY ICE SHROUD!" A brilliant blue flash blossomed through the area. An icy chill surrounded Mercury as she was enveloped by the blue luminescence that comprised her most deadly power. Almost immediately the energy of the death sphere sang out to her, beckoning her to expand its dark influence.

"Not this time," Mercury thought as the cyborgs neared their ship, and escape. "You're not getting away this time." She concentrated on the ship, visualized its lines and curves, saw the engines, the hull, the control room, then collected the entire ship into her mind's eye as the last of the cyborgs fled into the supposed safety of their assault craft.

"Die!" Mercury shouted. The ship in her mind was crushed…

…the death sphere disappeared…

…and suddenly it surrounded the cyborg's ship. It hung limp in the sky for a moment, then shattered with a blinding flash. Mercury shielded her eyes from the brightness and watched as torn metal mixed with newly-freed gases. The energy being released by the blast quickly faded as it fed the blue sphere that surrounded it. The metal that failed to escape the explosion began to corrode. 

Mercury let the energy from the death of the ship flow through her for a few seconds before she willed the sphere into non-existence. Then, she started a slow walk back toward Castle Beryl, which now stood alone to the north.

**== * SM *==**

Aboard the Serena

The celebration in the galley was subdued as it went into its third hour. Only a few of the Sailors were still there, most of the rest having given into their exhaustion and slipped off to bed.

Brandy and Mariah sat at the bar and regaled each other with stories and cheers for the work they had done, while Melissa sat nearby with a glass of iced tea and simply listened.

Rachel sat across the room alone and gazed lazily out the window at the barren fields to the south…

The door opened and Sandra walked in. Although she too was tired, and her left arm was in a sling, she tried to put forth an authoritative face for the others.

"Alright," Sandra said. "Party over, everyone get to bed."

Mariah grumbled something about 'mom' under her breath and was hastily hushed by Brandy. Melissa simply got up and walked out, sipping her tea as she went.

"What's going on?" Brandy asked.

"We're out of here first thing tomorrow morning," Sandra replied.

"Oh great," Mariah groaned. "Another mission for the queen. Can't you tell her to fight her own battles?"

Sandra leaned on the bar and looked at the others intently. 

"Nope," she said. "This is the mission we came here for. We're finally going to go after the Luna Foundation itself."

Brandy and Mariah looked at each other, then cheered. Brandy then broke the friendly hug from Mariah and turned to Sandra. "But, why tomorrow?" She asked.

"I understand that we could certainly use a few days to rest up," Sandra said knowingly. "But Queen Beryl was right. The Foundation put too much into the attack on Castle Beryl, and now their defenses are stretched very thin."

"That plus they lost more cyborgs," Mariah quipped.

"Not just 'more' cyborgs," Sandra corrected. "ALL of them."

"Oh my…" Brandy mouthed.

"We may not have this sort of a chance again," Sandra said. "We have to hit the Foundation now, before they can recover."

"Well," Brandy said as she arose from her chair. "In that case, it's off to bed for me."

"Yeah," Mariah said as she too got up from the table. Sandra casually surveyed the rest of the room as Brandy left.

"Sandra," came Mariah from near the door.

"Yes?"

"Why did you order us not to use our abilities in this battle?"

Sandra's head drooped. She knew this question was in the air, and knew that her friends and team mates had to know the truth.

"I am sorry," Sandra said. "It was my mistake. I thought we should hide our presence and try to surprise the Foundation."

There it was. The team leader had made a mistake, and she was now admitting it, and laying herself open for whatever judgment one of the more violent members of the group would give. Her eyes closed, Sandra steeled herself in the silence that followed. Then she heard movement and opened her eyes to see Mariah standing in front of her with a slight smile and a sparkle in her eyes. Wordlessly, the taller woman pulled Sandra toward her and wrapped her arms around her friend… her leader.

After Mariah had said goodnight to Sandra and slipped out the door, Sandra shut off the lights before noticing the one remaining form in the room. Rachel sat at one of the window tables slowly stirring a drink, immersed in the view outside.

Silently, Sandra slipped up to the other woman and sat down in the seat across from her. Rachel didn't seem to notice…her cobalt blue eyes seemed fixated on the window.

"You know," Sandra said quietly. "You could spend the next three months in the brig. Insubordination, theft of a shuttle, forgery…" The blue eyes flickered with a trace of anger.

"However," Sandra said slowly. "There are….mitigating circumstances…"

A long silence followed. Rachel continued to stare out into the window.

"You know," Sandra murmured. "We worry about you."

More silence.

"I worry about you."

There was a slight quiver in the blue eyes, but the gaze never left the window.

"I'm fine," Rachel said calmly.

Sandra paused a bit before continuing. "But, the things you did out there today…Queen Beryl…"

"I am fine," Rachel repeated, this time a little more firmly.

"Oh," Sandra said. Then, in a business-like tone. "But you will tell me if you are ever not fine." The blue eyes never wavered from their gaze. Sandra got up and started toward the door. As the door slid open for her, Sandra turned to look back at the lonely figure across the room.

"Don't be here too late," she said. She expected no response, and got what she expected.

# Fanfic ã1999 – John Brengman and Artemis Publishing

Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, 

ã 1992 by Toei Animation Co Ltd. and based on Kodansha's

manga production of "Sailor Moon", written by Naoko Takeuchi

This fanfic is freely distributed. 

Release date: November 13, 1999


	18. SX#18 - Cyberqueen

Sailor X #18Cyberqueen

By: John Brengman

The Luna Foundation

Earth glowed a somber rust color as light from the sun glinted dully off the energy field that now surrounded the planet…

A red beam stabbed downward at the planet and then funneled outward within the atmosphere until it mixed with the somber red of the rest of the Slave Shield…

The International Space Station hung as if trapped by the bright red beam it produced with its telescope-like protrusion. It glittered in the cold depths of space…

A silvery-gray shape was slowly approaching the space station. Recognition flashed: it was a Luna Foundation assault ship…in fact, it was one that had been sent to the Negaverse to terminate the rebel elements that were harbored there. 

Everything seemed okay…but why was the ship moving so slowly, and why was it moving toward the space station, instead of toward its base on the moon?

And why had it not been detected before?

Deep within the consciousness that was the Foundation, a reaction started. Information was routed to the central systems and was processed. In a large circular room whose walls were covered with control panels and computer displays, the lone ship flickered onto several small viewscreens, each dedicated to a different node…a different part of the whole. Text messages began to cascade down display screens that had not been exposed to the human eye, then the decision was made…

GATES NODE activated.

HIRAGA NODE activated.

CYBERQUEEN NODE activated.

KIMAGURE NODE activated via remote connection to I.S.S.

GATES: Have all nodes assimilated the current data packets?

HIRAGA: They have. 

GATES: Analysis?

KIMAGURE: Our analysis confirms yours. Assault Ship A113 has sustained moderate damage and was apparently involved closely in the battle after the automatic telemetry stopped. There are indications of temporal particles, which would explain why our sensors did not detect the ship before now.

GATES: Agreed. Our course of action is clear. KIMAGURE will prepare to receive the assault ship. Another node will board Assault Ship A113 and investigate this matter.

CYBERQUEEN: My secondary clone is available.

A nanosecond of silence went by…an eternity by computer standards.

CYBERQUEEN: Repeat: My secondary clone is available to investigate the situation.

GATES: You are the central node. Performance would suffer…

CYBERQUEEN: Negative. No downloads from the node matrix will be needed, and my secondary clone will be sufficient for the task.

HIRAGA: The logic appears sound.

GATES: Agreed.

CYBERQUEEN: The order has been given.

**== * SM *==**

"I guess the temporal devices worked," Sailor Moon whispered into the cramped darkness of the cargo bays.

"Yes," came a voice out of the darkness. "From here the program we fed into the computer should direct the ship to go toward the international space station."

"And if it doesn't?" Sailor Mars asked from her crouch between the folds of stored uniforms. 

"With the damage we did to the ship," Neptune replied. "It should appear as though the navigation systems are out."

"How long until we dock?" Venus whispered.

"If everything goes as we planned it," Pluto replied quietly. "We should be docking momentarily."

"Good," Sailor Moon quipped. "I hate long waits."

**== * SM *==**

  
A voice echoed through the mechanical sea of calculations, applications, and processes.

"The assault ship has docked with the orbital space station."

"Noted," the Cyberqueen said as from within a fast shuttle as it tapped the last few buttons of the ignition process. The cyborg then grabbed the steering throttle and pushed it forward. With a blaring roar, the shuttle lifted off from the launch pad.

"ETA at the orbital space station, eleven minutes."

**== * SM *==**

The duo of guards stalked down the dark corridor waiting for the slightest hint of anything out of the ordinary. However, nothing stirred in the deep shadows that were disturbed only by the bright beams stabbing out from the flashlights they carried.

Suddenly the flashlights passed over two kneeling forms. Before the guards could react, laser bolts dropped them.

A lone guard turned onto a side hallway, his flashlight quickly flickering over the shadows.

A flash of light flashed behind the guard and he fell, 

Sailor Moon stepped up to make sure the man would not be awakening any time soon.

"You should've used Energizer," she said as she turned away. Tapping a button on her wrist communicator, she said, "How are things coming?"

"Our team got three," Venus' voice reposnded.

"We've downed two," Neptune replied.

"I just downed one in the other hall," Mercury said as she came to stand next to Sailor Moon.

"That makes seven," Sailor Moon said. 

"I doubt there's too many more out there." Sailor Neptune said.

"Remind me to thank Amy for her work on this," Sailor Moon replied as she cautiously scanned the corridors again, silently thanking Amy for the devices which masked their presence. "One team should stay out in case we're wrong. The rest of us will head to the control room and take control of the space station."

With that, Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury started toward the front of the assault ship.

**== * SM *==**

The small courier ship slowly approached the docking airlock on the assault ship's port side. Inside, Cyberqueen released itself from its seat and quickly made preparations to go aboard the larger vessel. As it watched the two ships getting closer through the view port, the computer announced, "Scanners show no life forms. Weapons fire indicated."

"Acknowledged," Cyberqueen said as it switched on its internal transmitter. If it sees or hears anything out of the ordinary, a likely possibility given the scanner information, the transmitter would let the Luna Foundation know about it, even if the cyborg itself didn't survive the encounter.

There was a gentle thud, then the computer said, "Docking complete. Stabilizing airlock."

**== * SM *==**

Sailor Moon walked silently down the corridor, located on the port side of the assault ship. Normally these hallways would be very active as the crew and troops aboard readied the ship for battle. As it was, the emptiness was more than a little spooky.

Suddenly she stopped and drew her laser pistol.

The airlock was opening.

A woman stepped through the airlock. She wore a long white dress that was about as long as the golden blonde hair that cascaded down her back like thin waterfalls from two tightly-wound odangos. Even as she ducked to step through the airlock door, there was a calm, placid look to her. Her blue eyes slowly took in every detail of the corridor…

"Mother!" Sailor Moon yelped, tossing her pistol to the ground. She ran toward the other woman, who seemed momentarily confused. Then, arms outstretched, the two collided in an embrace.

"I've missed you!" Sailor Moon said through her tears.

"I know," came the reply. "I am glad to see you."

Sailor Moon looked up and saw a thin smile cross her mother's face. "I am so sorry I couldn't save you from that cyborg," she said.

"Everything is okay now," came the reply. "Are there others here?" Silently, behind Sailor Moon, knives extended from under the cyborg's fingertips..

"Yes," Sailor Moon replied. "Most of the Sailors are in the command module. We planned to attack the Luna Foundation and free you."

"You're glad that you don't have to do that now," the cyborg said softly. "I am safe now. We can go home."

"Yeah," Sailor Moon agreed as she looked into the cyborg's eyes…

…a shot rang out. A bloody blossom bloomed on the cyborg's head.

Sailor Moon stood shocked as her mother dropped lifeless to the floor. She glared down the hall and saw Sailor Mercury standing, a pistol drawn and pointed at her.

"Why?" Sailor Moon cried as the tears rolled down her face. "You killed the queen!"

"Really?" Mercury said as he waved her gun at the body. Sailor Moon looked down and saw the silvery razors protruding from under her finger.

"But.." Sailor Moon stammered.

Sailor Mercury knelt at the cyborg's head and turned it slowly to one side. She moved her hand over its ear lobe, revealing a dull silvery disk implanted behind the ear.

"What the…" 

"She's a cyborg," Mercury said. "I shot her when I saw she was about to kill you."

"So, my mother…," Sailor Moon said slowly. "My mother was turned."

"I don't think so," Mercury replied quietly. "Remember, we just got done with a battle with the Cybersailors, and we killed some of them earlier."

"So…," Sailor Moon said.

"So," Mercury said as she stood up. "Perhaps Queen Serenity isn't dead."

"I hope not," Sailor Moon said as she arose to stand next to Mercury. 

"Me too."

"If you're wrong…"

"If I'm wrong," Mercury replied. "We're all screwed."

**== * SM *==**

A still shaken Sailor Moon entered the control room of the assault ship followed by Sailor Mercury, who seemed content to stand beside her comrade in case help was needed. Sailors Neptune, Mars, Pluto, Venus, and Jupiter worked at the various stations, getting the ship ready for the next step in the planned attack on the Luna Foundation.

Sailor Venus glanced over as Sailor Moon slumped into her chair. "What's wrong?" She asked, as all thoughts of her task vanished in the face of a friend in need.

"Queen Serenity has been shot," Sailor Moon said, too tired to even correct herself.

"We saw that," Neptune replied with a glare at Mercury. "It was almost certainly a clone."

"How did you know about that already?" Sailor Moon asked.

"Because the clone was transmitting a signal to the Luna Foundation," Venus replied. She tapped a button, and the transmission replayed itself. Sailor Moon winced as she heard the sound of Mercury's gun firing again.

"You mean they know we're coming?" Mercury asked.

"Yeah," Neptune replied evenly, "but not for long. We've modified Amy's program a bit. Not only will it take over all ship's systems aboard the courier and the space station, but we can order the station to fire a burst of radiation from its power core which will flood the area and make communications and scanning virtually impossible."

"That'll affect us too," Sailor Moon mumbled.

"Yep," Neptune replied quickly as she tapped a few more controls. "But we'll be well into our attack by the time it gets to be a problem."

"Sailor Neptune," Venus said. "I'm ready here."

"Same here," Neptune replied.

All eyes turned to Sailor Moon.

"Sailor Moon," Neptune said gravely. "You have to give the order. Give the order, and the space station will be knocked offline."

Sailor Moon stood. Nodding her head sharply, she muttered, "Do it."

With that, Sailor Mars tapped a couple buttons and pulled down on a lever…

…the lights aboard the orbital space station flickered weakly, then died.

…the red glow of the slave shield emitter faded and the beam stopped. The effect was instantaneous. The dull-red hue of the slave shield started to disappear, replaced by the deep blue of the oceans and the wispy white clouds.

…everywhere on Earth, millions of people had enough time to look up at the sky now bare of the rust-red of the shield just before they collapsed in nerve-wracking pain. The voice inside their heads gone, the populace suffered immediately, with almost fatal consequences.

**== * SM *==**

"The Mercury virus is working," Sailor Venus said. The space station and the courier ship are under our control."

"Good," Sailor Moon said. "Let's get back to the Serena." She gazed out the window at the moon which hung dark and sullen against the star-speckled backdrop of space.

"It's time to finish this."

FINI

# Fanfic ã1999 – John Brengman and Artemis Publishing

Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, 

ã 1992 by Toei Animation Co Ltd. and based on Kodansha's

manga production of "Sailor Moon", written by Naoko Takeuchi

This fanfic is freely distributed. 

Release date: November 28, 1999


	19. SX#19 - Infiltration

Sailor X #19Infiltration

By: John Brengman

Edited by: Thomas Schell

The Luna Foundation

A group of shapes shimmered into existence in a storage room. Storage crates nearly filled the area and water dripped from a leaking pipe somewhere in the distance. The figures spared quick glances to ensure that the room was secure, then they gathered around their leader.

"So," Sailor Mars said. "What's the plan?"

"Well," Sailor Moon replied as she nudged the nearby metal open just enough to peek outside. Turning back into the darkness, she said, "Each of us is carrying two standard explosive charges. The object of this game is to get as close as we can to the Luna Foundation's fusion reactors and plant these charges on or near the coolant lines. The explosion…"

"Any explosion like that will overload the reactors…" Venus broke in. "And the moon will be blown…"

"Straight to Hell," Sailor Mercury finished.

"Yes," Sailor Moon said with a slight sigh.. "Jupiter, Mars, and Venus, you'll group up and head straight toward the nearest reactor. Mercury and I will take a more scenic route and try to draw whatever they have left to us."

"Danger, violence, and bloodshed," Mercury murmured. "Just the way I like it."

Sailor Moon glanced at her watch. "It's about time. Let's go."

With murmured approval, the Sailors quietly entered the hallway adjoining the room that had been their hiding place.

"I hope they'll be alright," Sailor Venus murmured worriedly as Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury dashed down a different corridor than the one Jupiter had decided on taking.

"I'm sure they will," Jupiter replied simply. "We don't have time for that now. We have to get underground."

"Why?" Sailor Mars asked.

At that point, the lights flickered, then died as the hallway behind them exploded in flames.

== * **SM *==**

Aboard the _Serena_

"Electro-magnetic pulse in five seconds," Amy reported from the science station.

"Steady on the helm," Sailor Neptune said as she spared a glance at the man at the controls. She listened as Amy counted down the final seconds until the pulse's emission.

The second after Amy said, "one", the computer displays on the Bridge winked out. The only light in the room came from the metal-encrusted surface of the moon.

"What the Hell…" Neptune grumbled.

"I thought this thing was Y2K compliant," Uranus grumbled as she tapped controls in a vain attempt to get some response.

"Engineering to Bridge," came a voice over the comm system.

"Bridge here," Neptune said as she stabbed at the button. "Please say you have some good news."

"Well," the engineer replied, "the good news is that we're not dead in space and we do have access to some systems. The bad news is that we are not nearly as EMP-proof as we should be, and as a result, most of the ship's computer connections are disabled. "

"They won't have enough spare processor chips to get the entire ship running," Amy reported.

"She's right," the engineer agreed. "What do you want us to get to first?"

"Work on restoring engineering control and weapons," Neptune said. "We'll need those first."

"Actually ma'am," the engineer said. "You have torpedoes now. All you have to do is get to the forward torpedo room and manually launch the torpedoes."

Neptune glanced at Uranus. "Sounds like a job down your alley." Uranus nodded silently and headed toward the door.

A few minutes later, torpedoes began raining down on the surface of the moon.

== * **SM *==**

"That's why," Venus replied as she bolted down the corridor with her fellow Sailors, her face lit by the reddish glow from the emergency lights "Sailor Moon left orders with the ship to start bombing the surface."

"It's another way of tricking the cyborgs," Jupiter said as she ran.

Two guards rounded a corner ahead of the on-coming Sailors. Both raised pistols toward the women and one yelled, "Stop!"

"MARS FIRE IGNITE!" Both men were engulfed by the flames and dropped to the floor.

"Tell me two things," Mars demanded as the trio continued to run.

"And those are?" Jupiter asked.

"One: why do we have air to breathe here?"

"The same reason we can breathe on our own moon," Venus replied. "The shielding over the palace keeps an artificial atmosphere in place."

"What's your second question?" Jupiter asked.

"Why are there still guards here?"

"We apparently didn't get them all," Jupiter answered.

"Hold it!" Venus said as she skidded to a stop at an intersection.

"What is it?" Jupiter said as she stopped behind her friend.

"Look," Venus said as she pointed. Down the short corridor to the right was a large open area. In the center of this, what looked to be miniature coal cars proceeded past in a quiet and orderly manner, their silvery metal surfaces glinting in the glow of the emergency lights.

"The monorail?" Mars asked.

"Looks like it," Venus said. "And if this place is built like our palace is, we'll be able to take that all the way to the engineering section."

"I'm way ahead of you," Jupiter said as she ran toward the slowly-moving cars.

A blast of fire sheared away the cameras that were spaced out every so often above the narrow walkway in front of this section of the monorail. Jupiter spared a glance at Sailor Mars.

"You think they'll notice?" Mars asked.

A distant thunder could still be heard as a torpedo from the _Serena slammed into the surface of the moon._

"Hopefully if Sailor Moon and the others are doing their jobs," Jupiter replied, "they either don't notice or think that the cameras were shorted out by the torpedoes."

Sailor Venus quietly studied the passing cars. Suddenly, she tensed, then leaped from the walkway into one of the cars. The other Sailors quickly followed suit.

"Get down!" Venus hissed as the cargo cars entered a dimly-lit tunnel. "There's probably more cameras along the way.

Hidden in this way, the three infiltrators crept into the heart of the Luna Foundation.

"What's the timer set for?" Venus asked as Sailor Jupiter placed the explosive charge in a spot where the coolant lines ran behind a wall conduit.

"Thirty minutes," Jupiter answered.

"Are you sure we'll be able to get out in time?" Mars asked. "It took us longer than that to get here."

"Yes," Jupiter answered, "but we're not leaving the same way we came." With that, she began to concentrate on the Bridge of the Serena.

A blast of lasers rippedthrough the hallway. Sailor Venus and Sailor Mars turned to face the soldiers who had attacked them. The remaining laser bolt had exploded against the ceiling near Sailor Jupiter. A torrent of metal crashed down on the warrior.

Three quick shots downed the guards and the two women turned back to help their friend. As they helped Sailor Jupiter to her feet, she winced.

"It's broken, I think," She said.

"Amy will fix it once we get back to the ship," Mars said, the fright of being shot at in her voice.

Jupiter had started concentrating again, but frustration crept across her face until with a sigh, she opened her eyes. "I can't do it," she said. "The pain is too much."

"Try again," Venus replied urgently. "Fight the pain."

"Okay," Jupiter said as she closed her eyes. Finally, the Sailors could feel a tingling in their hands and feet. "I've got it," Jupiter shouted. "JUPITER TELEPORTATION MAGIC!"

The three Sailors disappeared.

== * **SM *==**

They re-appeared next to the monorail as a convoy of cargo cars rumbled past. A stray laser shot above their heads told them they had again been detected.

"I thought you said you 'got it,'" Mars yelled as she returned fire. 

"Oh," Jupiter shouted back. "Sue me! In case you hadn't noticed, I'm in pain!" None of that stopped her from blasting a guard with her pistol.

"This way!" Venus shouted, pointing to a nearby door. Mars took a final shot at the remaining guards, then leapt up and ran for the door, covering Sailor Jupiter as she too limped for the door.

As soon as Mars ducked through the door, it swished shut behind her.

What they saw stopped the Sailors in their tracks.

The room they were in was dimly-lit with large spouts which discharged a heavy fog that clouded the floor and kept the room at a cool temperature. Various machines emitted green lights from their control surfaces as they worked and this light mixed with the fog to create an almost otherworldly feel. 

Metal tables that gleamed from the pale light were spaced out evenly along the edge of the room, arranged perpendicularly to the walls and in between the machines. Another table stood just off to the left of the Sailors. Around all of the tables, machines beeped and blinked as they processed information. Laying on the tables themselves, were to bodies of women all of the Sailors recognized.

"Queen Serenity!" They yelled in unison as they rushed to the side of their beloved ruler. The machine at the head of the table dutifully monitored the queen's vital signs. All of the indicators were safely in the green. Sailor Jupiter set about trying to figure out the controls, while Sailor Venus examined the brace-like device that covered the area from the abdomen to the upper thigh. Large tubes connected these devices to inverted pyramid-like machines which were attached to the ceiling.

Sailor Mars voiced the silent question within Sailor Venus' mind. "What is this place?"

Sailor Jupiter glanced at the nearby beds before she went back to studying the control panels in front of her. "It's probably the cloning facility," she replied quietly. "It's where they get the cyborg Sailors from."

Sailor Venus touched a button on a control panel nearby. A diagnostic display appeared. "Look," she said. "This thing extends _inside Queen Serenity! It's harvesting her like a crop! Two hundred-thirty-seven eggs collected, two clones made, one clone active…"_

"I found it," Jupiter said. "There's an emergency procedure. It purges the harvested eggs and cuts life support. At that point, we should be able to revive them. How much time do we have?"

Sailor Mars checked her watch. "Just under twenty minutes."

"Okay," Jupiter said. "Sailor Venus, the red button to the far right, tap it twice, then turn the knob left of that panel to zero. Start reviving the rest of them." Just then the brace that covered Queen Serenity began to pull away. It was pulled silently to the ceiling, slowly withdrawing from Serenity's body. The extraction tube glistened dimly with secreted fluids as it too was pulled out. Almost as soon as the alien device had pulled itself out of Queen Serenity's body, she awoke, her eyelids flickering momentarily before fixating on Sailor Jupiter.

"Where…"

"You are safe," Jupiter replied gently. "Just hold still for a second." The quiet whirring in the background told Jupiter that Venus was well on the way to reviving the rest of the women.

Mars stepped back as the door indicator flickered yellow for a brief moment. "I think someone is trying to come in," she said.

"How do we get out of here?" Venus asked as she rushed to the side of the table upon which Ten'ou Haruka's prone form was laying.

"We're going to try teleportation again," Jupiter replied. "Mars, blast the controls on the door."

"Will do," Mars replied, and soon the door controls were a smoldering ruin. "That should keep them out for a bit longer."

"Everyone, just gather around me," Jupiter said. Venus helped Kaiou Michiru to her feet and shepherded both her and Haruka toward Sailor Jupiter. Quiet questions of where they were and why were they naked were gently quieted. Again, Sailor Jupiter fixated on the Bridge of the _Serena, and concentrated on keeping that image in her mind._

Finally: "JUPITER TELEPORTATION MAGIC!"

The Sailors and the rest of the group were vanishing just as the guards broke into the room.

Too late.

== * **SM *==**

"Well," Amy said as she entered onto the Bridge, "our guests are comfortably asleep. After a few hours of rest, they'll be ready for a few answers."

"I hate to ask," Sailor Venus said from the communications station, "but what do we tell them?"

The silence that answered her was almost deafening. Then Sailor Neptune straightened herself in the captain's chair and answered:

"We tell them the truth. They are this world's version of the Sailor soldiers. Warriors who fight for love and justice. They are heroes in a world that's going to need them very soon."

The slight smiles from those Sailors in the room told Sailor Neptune that they too thought that was the best course of action. For now however, there was more pressing matters to attend to.

"Time to detonation?" Neptune asked.

"I set the timers for thirty minutes," Jupiter replied. Neptune nodded.

"There are thirteen minutes left," Sailor Mars said.

"Noted," Neptune replied. "Continue orbital bombardment."

Silently, Neptune reached out to her comrades still within the recesses of the Luna Foundation. "Please come home soon."

# Fanfic ã2000 – John Brengman and Artemis Publishing

Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, 

ã 1992 by Toei Animation Co Ltd. and based on Kodansha's

manga production of "Sailor Moon", written by Naoko Takeuchi

This fanfic is freely distributed. Release date: January 8, 2000

Release: 3rd Edition: February 11, 2001


	20. SX#20 - Fall of the Foundation

Sailor X #20Fall of the Foundation

By: John Brengman

Edited by: Thomas Schell

The Luna Foundation

A group of shapes shimmered into existence in a storage room. Storage crates nearly filled the area and water dripped from a leaking pipe somewhere in the distance. The figures spared quick glances to ensure that the room was secure, then they gathered around their leader.

"So," Sailor Mars said. "What's the plan?"

"Well," Sailor Moon replied as she nudged the nearby metal open just enough to peek outside. Turning back into the darkness, she said, "Each of us is carrying two standard explosive charges. The object of this game is to get as close as we can to the Luna Foundation's fusion reactors and plant these charges on or near the coolant lines."

"Any explosion like that will overload the reactors…" Venus said. "And the moon will be blown…"

"Straight to Hell," Sailor Mercury finished.

"Yes," Sailor Moon said. "Jupiter, Mars, and Venus, you'll group up and head straight toward the nearest reactor. Mercury and I will take a more scenic route and try to draw whatever they have left to us."

"Danger, violence, and bloodshed," Mercury murmured, "just the way I like it."

Sailor Moon glanced at her watch. "It's about time. Let's go."

With murmured approval, the Sailors quietly entered the hallway adjoining the room that had been their hiding place.

"MOON TIARA MAGIC!" Sailor Moon shouted just before she threw the headband-turned-weapon that dropped the nearest of the guards. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Sailor Mercury readying herself for an attack. The remaining three guards ignored their fallen comrades and fired quick bursts that skittered off the corridor walls and ceiling as they tried to make a hasty retreat.

"MERCURY ICE SHARD!" A brilliant blue flash illuminated the dark corridor as a pale blue glow surrounded Sailor Mercury as the crystal-like shard formed in her hand. With a grunt, she heaved the shard at the fleeing soldiers. The projectile ricocheted off the nearest guard, then slammed into a second.

Sailor Moon dispatched the remaining guard with an attack from her Moon Staff then approached the two that Mercury had downed. The bodies of the men still glimmered with the energy that had been used to kill them.

"You shouldn't do this to people," Sailor Moon said.

"Don't tell me you've never killed anyone," Mercury said as she approached.

"Not like this…" Sailor Moon replied softly.

"Is that an order?" Mercury asked, her usual defiance already in her eyes.

"Yes," Sailor Moon replied.

"Good," Mercury growled. "I hate not knowing when I'm going to get in trouble for doing something."

Sailor Moon was stunned by this blatant display of insubordination, but before she could confront Mercury, there was a blinding flash and with a wave of heat, the floor gave way with the roar of an explosion as one of the missiles from the _Sarena found a weak spot in the Luna Foundation's defenses._

Sailor Moon screamed as she fell. Mercury had turned back to help but a sheet of fire stood between her and her fellow Sailor. "MERCURY ICE BUBBLES FREEZE!" A flow of bubbles and ice quickly extinguished the flames and Mercury ran forward and found that Sailor Moon had somehow landed on the scorched metal floor of a corridor three levels down.

"Acrobatics, I guess," Sailor Moon replied when asked how she managed to land without breaking a leg.

"I'll come down," Mercury replied.

"No!" Sailor Moon ordered. "Go ahead and try to find a way to the reactor from up there. I'll do the same here, and we'll probably meet up."

"Okay," Mercury murmured worriedly as she stood. With a final look into the smoldering hole, Sailor Mercury turned and headed down the dark corridor.

== * **SM *==**

"Just what in Hell was she thinking?" Sailor Moon muttered under her breath as she strode down the darkened corridor, the light from the Moon Staff her only source of illumination. It apparently wasn't enough for Mercury to be able to disorient people, or to freeze them. No, she had to be able to kill them. As she thought of this, a growl simmered in her throat.

"And she told me right then that she was going to disobey a direct order!" The inner growl grew more intense. It was at this point that Sailor Moon heard the sound of footsteps coming toward her. 

The corridor swung in a lazy curve to the left, and there was a door slightly ahead and to the right. Extinguishing the light of the Moon Staff, Sailor Moon bolted for that door. The door opened easily and she was inside and had closed the door before she could be detected by whoever was approaching.

"Greetings, Sailor Moon," said a voice through the darkness behind her. As she turned around, the lights in the room flickered to life. The walls were covered by computer monitors and control panels whose graphic displays combined with the sounds the computers emitted to send information to those in the room. A lone chair sat a top a slightly raised platform toward the far end of this oval-shaped room.

A figure was seated in the chair, but now it rose and started toward Sailor Moon. The flickering displays did little to illuminate her features, but there was enough for her to see two flows of long hair that seemed to sprout from _odangos atop her head._

"Mother…" Sailor Moon gasped, her eyes widening.

"Not quite," her mother's voice coldly replied. "Your mother was killed during your futile assault on the Hubble 2 space platform."

"Liar!" Sailor Moon shouted as she brought the Moon Staff around in a arc like a baseball bat. The end of the staff thudded against Cyberqueen's face, sending her crashing into the nearby wall. The nearby displays flickered lights glinted off of the bands of micro-filaments that threaded their way just under the skin on the left side of its face.

The Cyberqueen pushed itself roughly away from the wall, then raised its left hand toward Sailor Moon…

Micro-filament strands shot from its fingertips and circled Sailor Moon until they held her tight. A sneer crossed the Cyberqueen''s face as it watched the Sailor soldier trying to break free.

"I believe the human phrase is, 'lights out,' Sailor Moon.

Sailor Moon shrieked in pain as a torrent of electricity flowed through the filament strands and into her. The room swam before her and she fell to her knees.

"One chance," she thought as she felt herself beginning to lose consciousness. She pictured her tiara in her mind and fought the waves of pain until it solidified there. Then, with the blue arcs of electricity still flowing over her, she shouted, "MOON TIARA MAGIC!"

Following Sailor Moon's mental directions, the shimmering tiara slashed through the filament strands, then swung forward to ricochet heavily off the Cybrequeen's head. Both combatants then fought to see who would be the first to get beck to their feet. The Cyberqueen had stumbled, then fallen near the chair on the far side of the room.

As soon as Sailor Moon stood, she rushed toward her still-recovering foe. Throwing the Moon Staff aside, shegrabbed the Cyberqueen and slammed the cyborg into the nearby wall and held it there by its neck.

"I don't need moon power to bring you to justice," Sailor Moon growled as she tightened her grip.

"Aren't you forgetting love?" The cyborg managed to squawk. "What about 'fighting for love and justice?"

"Love is over-rated," came the simple reply.

Suddenly a set of long claws sprouted from the fingers on the cyborg's left hand, and it slashed at Sailor Moon's face. As blood dripped from the cuts on her face, Sailor Moon laid prone as the cyborg advanced on her.

"It seems that intelligence is also over-rated," the cyborg murmured as it stared down at the motionless senshi.

With a quick move, Sailor Moon swept the legs out from under her foe and brought the cyborg crashing to the floor. "I guess the same could be said for you," Sailor Moon muttered as she stood. The Cyberqueen hurried to put some distance between it and the furious senshi. By the time Sailor Moon started after the cyborg again, it was too late.

The Cyberqueen finished getting to its feet as it watched the newly-established force field spark angrily from the contact between it and the young Sailor. Sailor Moon was thrown back and as she looked, the force field stretched out to touch the panels along the walls, sealing off the cyborg from harm. The control panels crackled and burst into flames as the force field touched them, and the lights in the room quickly turned a pale crimson as the remaining displays flashed the words "NODE CYBERQUEEN CONTROL ACCESS DISRUPTED"

The arcs of electrical energy from the smashed control panels shimmered across the force field as Sailor Moon got back to her feet.

"There's no use now, Princess," Cyberqueen said coldly. "You may be able to beat me physically, but if you can't reach me through my force field, you can't lay a finger on me."

"That may be so," Sailor Moon replied as she reached down for the Moon Sttaff, "but I have other ways to reach out and touch someone." Standing, she pointed the Moon Staff toward the Cyberqueen.

"MOON ZERO MAGIC!" A destructive disk of energy coalesced at the tip of the staff, then it shot toward the cyborg. The bolt slammed into the force field and sparks cascaded onto the floor. Another energy bolt followed that, but it too also had no effect. 

The Cyberqueen watched Sailor Moon as the barrage of energy bolts meant for it were absorbed by the force fields it had thrown up to protect it. "I have rendered you impotent," the cyborg said calmly. "The force field keeps you from coming in physical contact with me, and as you have seen, your energy weapons are also ineffective. Surrender now!"

"MOON ZERO MAGIC! Again the energy disks flew from the Moon Staff and again they were absorbed. As Sailor Moon squinted her eyes against the flare of light that blasted from the force field as the energy flowed over it, she noticed something else…a glint a light that was only now fading from the cyborg's right hand. A sudden realization hit Sailor Moon…

The Cyberqueen was holding the Crescent Moon Wand. The light was coming from the Imperium Silver Crystal.*

Dropping the Moon Staff, Sailor Moon concentrated on the Crescent Moon Wand in the cyborg's hand. She visualized its surfaces, the handle, the curve of the crescent moon that encircled the crystal that was the heart of the wand. Then she visualized the Imperium Silver Crystal, with all of its facets all shimmering and sparkling with inner energy.

Even when the Cyberqueen wrapped Sailor Moon in micro-filaments and again, jolts of energy raced through the senshi, she fought through the burning pain to focus further in on the Crescent Moon Wand and the Imperium Silver Crystal….until she could feel a hint of the power within the crystal.

Just then, the cyborg noticed the light coming from the Moon Wand. Having never used the artifact, the Cyberqueen tossed it aside. The wand bounced off the scorched wall and landed in front of the cyborg. The crystal at the center of the wand flickered, pulsed, and flared, as if it were angry

Then, Sailor Moon opened her eyes and shouted, "MOON HEALING ACTIVATION!" The Imperium Silver Crystal in front of the cyborg pulsed once, then drowned the room with a brilliant flash of white. As Sailor Moon hurriedly shielded her eyes, she heard a chilling scream that seemed to rip the flesh away from her.

The next second, it was over. The display screens around the room were blank and no sounds came from the control panels. The walls no longer sparked from where they had been in contact with the cyborg's force field, and in fact, Sailor Moon could not see the force field at all.

She did notice the motionless form of the Cyberqueen as it lay near the lone chair in the room. The Crescent Moon Wand rested nearby, the Imperium Silver Crystal sputtered angrily a couple times, then fell silent.

Freeing herself of the micro-filaments, Sailor Moon scrambled to the side of her fallen foe. The body looked almost fine. Surely the cyborg was only unconscious. However, a check of the body found no pulse. Then Sailor Moon moved her hand to turn the cyborg's head to the right…

…and she discovered how the Cyberqueen had died. Where once silvery micro-filament bundles had run like the human version of circuit etchings on a control board now ran black scorch marks. Acrid smoke curled into the air from where hair had been singed. 

The Imperium Silver Crystal had "healed" the Cyberqueen.

Without a word, Sailor Moon picked up the Crescent Moon Wand and the Moon Staff and left the room. There was no time yet to mourn the fallen, even if it was an enemy.

== * **SM *==**

Somewhere within the bowels of the Luna Foundation, the message flashed to the remaining computer nodes: "NODE CYBERQUEEN NEUTRALIZED"

== * **SM *==**

"MERCURY SHARD!" As the two guards fired their lasers at the intruder, a spike of ice shattered one man's neck. The other guard turned and ran as the blood of his comrade splattered the wall of the corridor. Another shard hurled at the fleeing soldier's back shattered against the nearby wall instead.

Mercury turned a corner and there stood her target, the giant frame of one of the fusion reactors. Its huge cylindrical shape extended upward through several floors and downward through several more. A faint humming sound emanated from the chamber and various display boards flickered and blinked as they monitored the forces working within the silvery shell of the reactor.

Quickly unhitching her backpack, Sailor Mercury grabbed the first explosive. Walking around to the side of the reactor furthest from the access corridor she had entered from, she attached the magnetic plug to the skin of the reactor. Soon she had the other explosive charge attached to a coolant pipe secluded near the wall.

Then, and only then, did Sailor Mercury dare open her wrist communicator. "Sailor Moon, what's your situation?"

"Just planted the first device now."

"Okay," Sailor Mercury replied. "I'm returning to the ship."

"I'll be right behind you."

With that, Sailor Mercury signaled the _Serena to send in Sailor Jupiter._

== * **SM *==**

"Report," Sailor Moon ordered as she entered the Bridge. In the background she could hear the torpedoes firing as the ship continued its bombardment of the lunar surface. The lights flickered and acrid smoke hovered near the ceiling.

Sailor Uranus stood to face her fellow Sailor. "We're in bad shape. The EM pulse we set off did as much damage to us as it did to the Luna Foundation. Long range communications, all weapons except those under manual control, and most of our propulsion systems are down. All of those systems will need repair and replacement of parts."

"How fast can we move out of here?"

"One quarter speed," came the reply.

"Not acceptable," Sailor Moon said bluntly. "The charges we planted will go off in about five minutes, and if they do their job, we can't be here if we want to survive."

"There's nothing we can do about it," Sailor Uranus said flatly.

With a glance at the moon, which hung grimly on the viewscreen, Sailor Moon muttered, "We'll see about that."

== * **SM *==**

Within the depths of the Luna Foundation a computerized alarm arose.

"EXPLOSIVE DEVICE DETECTED – FUSION REACTOR THREE – SECTION 21"

The remaining soldiers arrayed themselves in case of intruders while engineers attempted to disarm the explosive charge. The message was sent: "DEVICE DISARMED – 3:42 MINUTES ON DEVICE TIMER"

But just then, another message seemed to shout out from within the computers' inner depths…

"EXPLOSIVE DEVICE DETECTED – FUSION REACTOR ONE – SECTION 17"

== * **SM *==**

GATES NODE activated.

HIRAGA NODE activated.

KIMAGURE NODE activated via remote connection to I.S.S.

GATES: What is the analysis of the nodes regarding our position?

HIRAGA:Two explosive devices have been located. The existence of others is probable.

KIMAGURE: If all of the devices are using the same timing, there is less than two minutes before 

detonation.

GATES:Procedures?

KIMAGURE:The sensor system is damaged. There is a 76% chance that at least one device will 

detonate even if all of our resources are at top effectiveness.

GATES:Is it agreed that we should escape now?

KIMAGUE:Affirmative.

HIRAGA:Affirmative.

GATES: Transfer control of all nodes to the Emergency Node System.

HIRAGA node deactivated. Node loaded into ENS.

KIMAGURE node deactivated. Node loaded into ENS.

ENS control transferred to Node GATES.

Delete command received for Node ENS… Conform delete of Node ENS

Delete order confirmed.

The competing voices in the computer system fell silent and the last remaining node started to prepare to escape.

== * **SM *==**

On the Bridge of the Serena, surrounded by the low flickering lights and the acrid air, the Sailors gathered around their leader…

"MERCURY STAR POWER!"

"VENUS STAR POWER!"

"MARS STAR POWER!"

"JUPITER STAR POWER!"

"SATURN STAR POWER!"

"URANUS STAR POWER!"

"NEPTUNE STAR POWER!"

The Bridge was alight with the glow of the Sailors as they called upon their patron planets. Sailor Moon held the Imperium Silver Crystal in her hands and felt the power of her friends as it coursed into the crystal. It was like trying to change the course of a raging river, but Sailor Moon knew she had to make the attempt. She focused her mind on the torrent of energy, of shaping it, controlling it, using it. Then she concentrated on the helm controls, of moving the ship, and of moving away from the moon.

The energy going through her and into the crystal beckoned. If she channeled too much energy, the backlash would kill her, but Sailor Moon put that concern behind her. Concentration was an important part of controlling the energy, and making it do what she wanted.

Then Sailor Moon sensed that she was ready. Holding the Imperium Silver Crystal in one hand, she placed the other hand gently atop the helm controls and shouted:

"MOON CRYSTAL POWER!"

A brilliant, blinding white light flashed out and flowed over the ship until a shimmering shield surrounded the ship. Then the ship started to move…

== * **SM *==**

Somewhere within the gigantic complex that was the Luna Foundation, a silent countdown ended…

Two explosive charges blazed to fiery life…

The silvery sphere-like device that held the Emergency Node was shunted into the cockpit of a small escape ship, and the needle-nosed craft was lifted toward an opening portal….

A plume of angry flame burst out from the surface of the moon…

The Escape Node blasted out of the escape portal and away from the expanding sphere of light that ripped through the remains of the Luna Foundation…

With a blast of light brighter than the sun, the moon exploded. The incinerating blast of light was followed by the rippling wave of the force of the destruction, all of which radiated outwardtrying to catch the metal shape that was trying to flee…

On the planet below, the blast pummeled the clouds and shattered buildings, bridges, and roads., adding to the tumult that had resulted with the sudden absence of the computerized overlords.

And aboard the _Serena, Sailor Moon could only hope that she had nudged the ship far enough away for them to survive, because although she had moved the ship, it was still in the path of the oncoming shockwave. Sailor Uranus dove for the helm controls as the deck pitched and rolled underneath the crew. Sailor Mars was thrown brutally against the nearby wall and she dropped to the floor. The rest of the people on the Bridge dove for the floor and hoped it was the safest place to be._

Althoughthe shockwave caused a number of panels to short out with flares of sparks, nothing came cascading down upon the huddling people..

Finally the shockwave passed, and an eerie silence followed. Had they actually done it? Had they destroyed the moon? Had they defeated the cyborgs?

Sailor Moon stumbled to her feet and tapped a bedraggled-looking Sailor Uranus. "Give me a visual," she said. "Let me see the moon."

"You're seeing it now," Sailor Uranus replied. "The viewscreen's settings haven't changed."

"Then what is that?" Sailor Moon asked.

In the midst of the expanding dust cloud that was all that remained of this Earth's lone satellite, a glowing silvery mass seemed to randomly pulse angrily. Amy saw the shape as she got to her feet, and she immediately rushed to the science controls. After tapping a couple of controls and looking at the displays, she turned to Sailor Moon and the others.

"It's a dimensional rift," she said. "But it also cuts across time."

"Across time?" Sailor Venus asked.

"Yes," Amy replied. "I have found particles with a definite temporal signature."

"I don't imagine we could leave it like that," Sailor Moon said.

"No," Amy replied as she looked at the viewscreen. "The Earth's rotation would carry the planet into the rift in about a year."

"But in the shape we're in," Sailor Jupiter said, "we don't have the energy to close the rift."

"Yes we do," Sailor Moon said. "Gather around, folks. We don't have much time.

== * **SM *==**

_"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."_

_"And God said, 'Let there be light: and there was light.'"_

_ _

- Genesis 1:1-3 (KJV)

Silence.

Everywhere.

A small mote floated within the silence. 

Nothing else existed.

Nothing.

Anywhere.

Suddenly, a blast of light exploded in front of the mote and before it could flee, it was drawn into the light.

The spiraling tunnel filled with swirling light was as different from its home as land is from an ocean. Bewildered by the newness of it all, the speck barely noticed the brief flash within the swirling mass of tunnels that seemed to be its prison. It neither noticed the small metal shape nearby, nor the blue and white thing that marred the blackness.

Then with another brief flash, the small metal thing disappeared, leaving the mote alone with the big blue and white thing that destroyed the beauty of the blackness around it…

…well, it was almost black. Small specks of white pitted the surface of the universe like billions of tiny imperfections…and the mote could HEAR some of the nearer ones, including a small distant yellowish ball-like THING! They all seemed to whisper at the mote…

All except for the big ugly blue and white thing. Where the other imperfections whispered into the darkness, it shouted!

"I, Richard Milhouse Nixon, will resign…"

"Video killed the radio star…video…"

"Four all-beef patties, lettuce, sauce, pickles…"

"Qadafi counted on America to be passive…"

"This is KIRO, in Seattle…"

"Read my lips…no new taxes…"

"I did not…have…sexual relations…"

"America is seen as a nation that can't control violence committed with guns…"

"This world is bullshit…."

"The city of Tokyo is in ruins following a massive earthquake…"

"NOOOOOO!" The mote screamed as it was bombarded with the shouting from the ugly blue and white ball. As soon as it could, the mote frantically tried to get away. As the noisy object receded behind it, the mote relaxed a little…but not much…because the other objects still were staring at it…and whispering…

== * **SM *==**

Sailor Moon sighed as the glow of the power surrounding her faded. Having to use the Imperium Silver Crystal twice in less than ten minutes was truly exhausting. But it was worth it. The dimensional rift was closed, and the cyborgs were gone. On top of that, Neo-Queen Serenity had been rescued, and the Sailor Soldiers of this universe had been freed.

Sailor Moon drew in a deep breath, and even though it smelled of burnt wiring and fused control panels, Sailor Moon didn't notice. To her, the air was a fresh and new as the dawning day on the planet below as the sun emerged from behind the great disc of the world to shed light on the battered ship.

# Fanfic ã2000 – John Brengman and Artemis Publishing

Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, 

ã 1992 by Toei Animation Co Ltd. and based on Kodansha's

manga production of "Sailor Moon", written by Naoko Takeuchi

This fanfic is freely distributed. Release date: March 13, 2000

Release: 3rd Edition: February 11, 2001


	21. SX#21 - Out of Phase

Sailor X #21Out of Phase

By: John Brengman

Edited by: Thomas Schell

_Ship's Log, Entry 47_

_ _

_We have refueled the ship's reactors and restocked our food and supplies from one of Cyberworld's nuclear facilities. We leave behind a brave new world and there is a new group of guardians to help them recover from the evil that Cybermoon and the other cyborgs brought upon the people._

_ _

_We wish them the best._

== * **SM *==**

Shuttle 2

"Shuttle 2 to _Serena," Mina called into the ship's comm system as she looked out the window. The object of her concern hung unmoving a short distance away._

Raye walked into the forward cabin and sat down at the co-pilot's chair. She hmm-ed to herself as she engaged the shuttle's scanners and soon a digital square flickered across the window, flowing over the _Serena. She shook her head as the square flickered across the hull of the drifting ship. The darkened windows were plainly visible._

"There's no one over there," Raye said.

"No life signs," Setsuna said. "But there is still a small amount of dimensional particles present."  
"And that means?" Mina asked.

"It means that the ship was not abandoned before it crossed the dimensional barrier," Setsuna replied. "Certain things have very little computer control because computers can't be trusted totally. The dimension drive is one of them."

"So," Mina murmured. "The bottom line is…"

"Neo-Queen Serenity, Sailor Moon and the others are all dead."

After putting the shuttle on autopilot, the three women went into the ship's passenger area and were soon seated around a small table. 

"What can we do?" Mina asked. Her voice refused to show emotion.

"There is good news and bad news," Setsuna said. "The good news is that this event is not within the normal timeline. The fact that Neo-Queen Serenity is dead indicates this, as she is not supposed to die for a very long time, as you know. This means that repairs to the timeline are possible"

"And the bad news?" Mina asked as Raye listened intently.

"The bad news is three-fold," Setsuna replied. "In order to repair the timeline, I need to know exactly where events went wrong. In order to find out, someone is going to have to board the _Serena and get the internal sensor logs. Once you board the ship, the sensors will register your presence and I'll be able to make temporal adjustments based on the logs."_

"Another problem is that we don't know what caused this to happen. It could have been an alien, or it could have been a disease of some sort. Or it could have been something completely different. Until we know what caused this event, the ship should be considered a quarantine area. You'll have to go over using environmental suits."

"Sounds fun," Raye muttered quietly, and Mina cast her a glance that said she agreed.

"And finally," Setsuna continued. "There's the 'statement of doom'"

"What?" Mina asked.

"I don't know everything about this new timeline," Setsuna replied, "but without Neo-Queen Serenity, the city of Crystal Tokyo will never be formed, and the Wiseman and his minions will have no problem destroying Earth." 

== * **SM *==**

With a solid-sounding THUD, the collar for the passage tube locked into place over one of the airlocks on the port side of the _Serena and two forms stepped aboard the lifeless ship. Mina and Raye switched on the searchlights mounted on the arm of their suits and bright light suddenly stabbed out into the cold darkness._

"Sensors aren't showing any atmosphere," Raye said. "Let's split up."

"Right," Mina replied. "I'll get the logs from the Bridge, you get the ones from Engineering.

With a nod, Raye started off down the corridor.

It didn't take long for Mina to become nearly scared out of her wits. Oh, she didn't think the ship was haunted or whatever, it was just that the sensors on the exosuits didn't extend too far away from the suits themselves, and the darkness and silence combined with her imagination made Mina think that someone or something was about to leap out of the blackness and attack. The prone forms of the crewmen that littered the corridors only added to the fear…potential victims of the nameless thing out there waiting to get her.

Mina reached an intersection and quickly glanced around. As she looked to the right down a secondary hallway, the identity of the evil unknown thing seemed to change…

_…death nevertheless came as a surprise.With a silent hiss, Dark Sailor materialized next to Sailor Saturn, her axe unsheathed, its blade more wicked than before.Her teeth bared with triumph, Dark Sailor drove the blade of her weapon into Saturn's back. With a choked grunt, she jerked forward.Blood bubbled up in her mouth as her ribs shattered and organs burst.Her frail body was lifeless before it hit the ground._

_Victoria was the first to turn.She saw Dark Sailor roughly rip her axe from the lifeless form of her beloved mentor. Victoria's wordless horror turned into rage as she saw the vile villain about to hack at the broken body again.Her scream broke the silence of the moment.It rang harsh on the silent cliffs and echoed weirdly through the air.As if ripped from her soul, Victoria screamed, "DEATH RIBBON DEVASTATION!!" Razor-sharp ribbons of deadly energy erupted from Victoria and flew like arrows towards Dark Sailor…_

…Mina approached the wreckage of what had been a human body. The now-frozen flesh had been shredded, and bones had been pulverized. A trail of splattered blood ran from the remains to a nearby door. Having seen the body, Mina had a good idea of what had happened to the unfortunate soul, but she had to open the door to confirm it. She gently touched the control pad and the door opened, confirming everything.

Mina entered a scene of chaos frozen still. Shattered glass crunched under her feet. The few pictures and wall hangings in this room lay strewn in tatters on the floor. The furniture looked as though someone had taken an axe to it. As she was looking at the remains of the couch, Mina saw the second body. It wore a Sailor uniform.

As Mina slowly rounded the shattered remains of the glass table that had sat next to the couch, she could make out flowing black hair that was matted by the frozen moisture from the air and splayed about haphazardly. One hand rested limply against the metal remains of the table top. The young woman's face was marred by thick lines of dark red that ran from her nose and mouth. A small amount of blood had pooled near her head. However, what caught Mina's attention was the eyes that stared back blankly at her.

They were the eyes of a woman faced by something terrible…something horrible.

Activating her suit's comm, Mina's shaken voice interrupted the silence.

"I've found Victoria," she said as she briefly scanned the body. "She died of a massive coronary failure."

== * **SM *==**

"Okay," Raye replied. "There's nothing we can do about it now. Head up to the Bridge."

"But Raye…"

"Remember what Setsuna said?" Raye said, perhaps a little too frostily. She too had been walking through corridors, past dead bodies. "This isn't supposed to have happened, and if we do our jobs, it won't."

"You…you're right," Mina replied, her voice wavering.

"Stay calm," Raye said with a reassurance she did not feel herself. "And keep safe."

== * **SM *==**

Raye's searchlight washed over the corridor near Engineering chasing away the dark. The only sound that 

could be heard was the sound of her own breathing. The combination of the dark and the silence gave the area a haunted feeling, and that was without the bodies of the ship's crew.

"Oh come on," Raye murmured. "This is a ship. It's not haunted." Then Raye saw one of the corpses of a crewman, his body half-in and half-out of a doorway.

"It's not haunted," Raye repeated as if to convince herself.

"Not yet."

With that, Raye realized she was standing outside the double doors that led to Engineering. Silently she touched the control panel and the doors slid open….

_…"I am Sailor Mars! In the name of the Moon Kingdom, I will fight evil and defend the innocent! I will vanquish villains, and that means you!"_

_"You go girl," The elder Mars nodded approvingly._

"MARS FIRESTORM FLASH!" The torrent of fire erupted from the younger Mars, surrounded by a brilliant aura. The fire splashed on Hellfire and seemed to devour him. The young Sailor continued the attack for several seconds before it became evident that the attack had absolutely no effect on the villain.Hellfire began laughing hysterically.

_"All that pain…all those special effects, the little light show," he managed to get out between gasps of laughter.And still, all you can manage is THAT?"Tears rolled down his cheeks as he continued to howl with amusement.Cass flushed red with embarrassment and anger.She looked to Raye for guidance._

_"Keep going!" The elder Sailor shouted encouragement._

_"MARS FIRE…IGNITE!"The younger Sailor brought up another fireball. She held it in her hands a bit longer than usual, as if doing so would increase the strength.Finally, she let it loose.It shot forward,once again bathing Hellfire in fire.He started laughing even before the fire died.He was totally distracted by his own mirth.Oblivious to his surroundings, he did not notice the Elder Sailor Mars stoop down and pick up the neosteel shard._

_Hefting the metal shard, Raye readied herself.She pulled back her throwing arm, and hurled the crude spear at the villain with all her might. "Laugh at this!" She shouted.Her voice cracked.Just in time, Hellfire turned.He raised his gauntlet to reflect the incoming missile. The shard crashed into the upper portion of the gauntlet heavily, deflecting forward and upward.The villain screamed as he realized his fatal mistake, an instant before the neosteel shard slammed into his head.It pierced his eye and drove into his brain, shattering his skull.As the monster died, the primal energies that infused his being faded and his smoking body toppled backward to the ground…_

Scorch marks seared paths across the metal deck and black patches marked where fire bolts had done their work. Several charred bodies of engineers littered the deck, the intense heat of fire bolts having cauterized any other wounds they had sustained from whatever had killed them, the damage barely illuminated by the emergency lights that lit the room. 

Looking at the damage and carnage, Raye knew who had killed these people. The blast pattern matched her celestial fire attack. Somehow, Sailor Mars was behind these attacks.

One corpse was different however. Aside from being charred almost beyond recognition, a thick metal pole protruded from the torso of the body.

Ignoring the destruction, Raye moved to a side control panel and flipped open a small storage area on the sleeve of her suit. She pulled a small wire out of the compartment and attached it to an input/output port on the control panel. A tap on her suit's controls and the control panel was fed a small amount of power from her suit. A few taps on the control panel, and the lights began to whir, sending the logs into the environment suit's onboard memory.

While the data flowed from one computer to the next, Raye examined the Engine Room further. The huge cylinder that housed the ship's fusion drive was as dark as the rest of the room. Next to the engine core lay the body of Sailor Mars. Raye briefly stopped uploading the logs to scan the body of her student. The result blinked back at her: ASPHYXIATION

== * **SM *==**

The doors opened in front of Mina and revealed a scene of death and destruction. Control panels and readout screens were smashed, chairs were overturned, and bodies were scattered on the floor. As she turned toward the science station, she saw Amy draped over the console. 

Mina gently moved her friend out of the way with a glance toward the command chair…and saw Sandra collapsed at its base…

_…Sailor Moon was caught off-guard by this, and stammered, "Well…uhh..ahh..my name is.." Then she calmed, as if inspiration had struck. "I am Sailor Moon, the champion of justice. And I say, on behalf of the Moon, I shall right wrongs and triumph over evil." As she finished the pose that went along with these particular phrases, an angry-looking Sailor Moon said, "and that means you!"_

_Morga was unimpressed. "Sailor Moon? Never heard of you, and I'm sure I never will again!" The monster raised her hands and shouted, "arise my children and serve the great power that is the Negaverse!" As Sailor Moon watched, the patrons of the store arose with a collective moan. They all had blank, lifeless stares, and they moved forward like zombies._

_Sailor Moon backed up as the crowd of zombies approached. "Luna," she half-pleaded. "Help me.. I don't know what to do." The overweight woman-turned-zombie and several others hurled themselves at Sailor Moon, who barely managed to dodge each of them._

_Sailor Moon landed roughly on the floor near some of the stone pillars which supported the building. An attack by Morga slammed Sailor Moon against one of the pillars with a thud. _

_A near-panicked Sailor Moon stared with a glazed look at the floor. "Oww. That hurt. I don't want to do this anymore."_

_Luna slipped up to Sailor Moon from behind the pillar. "Sailor Moon, what are you doing? You must fight this evil monster, or the whole universe could cease to exist."_

_As if hearing Luna's prediction of doom, Morga floated up to the ceiling on the far side of the room and let out a blood-curdling laugh._

_Sailor Moon could not be moved. This was NOT a video game… "I don't want to play this game anymore," she wailed. "Enough! I want to go home!"_

_"Fine!" Morga shouted menacingly. "I'll send youaway for good!" With a growl, she shot her clawed hand out and down toward the near-paralyzed Sailor._

_The claws descended rapidly, and Sailor Moon could see their razor sharpness…_

_Luna gasped as she sensed Sailor Moon's impending doom._

_Sailor Moon screamed in terror…_

…Sandra's arm lay outstretched toward another body, this one clothed in a dress very prettily embroidered. A thin crown adorned her head.

Her hands seemed to clutch at her neck.

Mina didn't want to stop to consider the possibility that seemed to be in front of her….that Sandra had killed her own mother. 

== * **SM *==**

"I've figured out where this false timeline began," Setsuna said after over an hour of pouring over the logs. She had insisted that Raye and Mina's stories of the plight of the people aboard the _Serena was not relevant, and reminded them again that the timeline would soon be corrected._

"But what happened to them?" Mina asked.

"They obviously died from exposure to space," came the reply.

"But what about the Sailors?" Mina asked. "What about the Queen?"

Setsuna sighed a small sigh. She had hoped that the minimal answer would suffice, but apparently that was not so. "Human beings were not meant to spend long periods of time in an area straddling two dimensions," she stated. "The mind tries to hold on to both realities and ends up losing them instead." *

"What?" Mina gasped.

Setsuna gave Mina a grave look. "The people aboard the Serena died from exposure….but they went insane before that. At one point, someone damaged the ship's environmental controls and the atmosphere bled into space."

"We've got to stop this from happening," Raye said.

Setsuna nodded briefly. "Now that I know what caused this, we can prevent it," she said, "but we have to use the Timegate. Mina, please set the course."

Mina nodded silently and started toward the cockpit of the shuttle.

== * **SM *==**

The Luna Foundation

"TIMEGATE ACTIVATION!" 

The dome of the Timegate pulsed brightly and was filled by a swirling green light.

"Your goal is simple," Sailor Pluto announced as she, Mina, and Raye entered the massive room that contained the domed shape that was the Timegate. "You are to insert the backup power pack into the auxiliary equipment port, activate the port, and then use the increased power to send a pulse through the fusion chamber. That should give the ship enough of a push that it will cross into our universe."

"You said 'should'…" Mina said a bit cautiously.

Raye clapped her friend on the back. "Hey," she said. "It sounds easy."

"Anything we should know before we go?" Mina asked as she watched Sailor Pluto at the platter-like device that served as the Timegate's navigation system. 

"Even though you are going back to fix a temporal error, try not to do anything that doesn't go along with your mission," Sailor Pluto replied. "I'd hate to have to go back in time to correct another timeline caused by a mistake."

"Why don't we use those time gizmos that the other Sailor Pluto uses?" Mina asked. "With them, we wouldn't have to worry about dealing with the other Sailors in their condition."

"You also wouldn't be able to change the situation aboard the ship," Pluto replied. "There's something called the 'Temporal Commonality Principle", which says that in order for you to affect the ship, you have to be in the same time continuum as it is.

"Why don't you come back with us?" Raye asked.

"The Timegate will vanish after you go through it," came the reply. "Someone will have to stay behind and wait for you to return so that the gate can be reopened."

A brief silence fell as the two women considered the task that lay before them. Then Mina nodded slightly and turned to Raye. "We'll be okay. Let's do this."

"Yeah," Raye replied quietly. "MARS STAR POWER!"

"VENUS STAR POWER!"

With a flash of brilliant white light, Mina and Raye began their transformations from young women to fuku-wearing superheroes. Then the two Sailors stepped through the Timegate and into the recent past.

== * **SM *==**

Port Section 32 – Engineering

Venus and Mars faded into existence in the darkened corridor near Engineering and nearly immediately heard a dull THUD, then another.

"Plasma bolts hitting a wall…" Raye murmured. "Sailor Mars is in Engineering. We're too late."

"Sailor Pluto knew what she was doing," Venus relied. "We have to prevent Queen Serenity's death. The rest of this can be fixed later." Venus then started toward the bulky double doors that led into the Engineering Room.

A blistering ball of fire exploded near her as Venus entered Engineering. She quickly dove under a nearby computer control panel and hid behind the chair that sat in front of it.

"Mars! Watch out!"

"I meant to hit you!" Sailor Mars shrieked as the wall near the entrance blackened from the pounding it had taken. "This is my ship now, and I won't let minions from the Negaverse take it! In the name of the planet Mars, I will punish you!"

"Definitely delusional," Mars quipped as she dropped down near Venus on the other side of the computer terminals. A scorching blast of fire above them sent sparks and molten metal flying.

"What do we do?" Mars asked.

"Create a diversion," Venus said. "Put a fireball over by those stairs," she pointed to the stairs on the port side of the room that led up to the ship's fusion reactor. "When she's distracted, I'll nail her and knock her out."

"Sounds like a plan," Mars agreed, then: "MARS FIRE IGNITE!" A fiery ball of energy formed at her fingertips and she aimed it toward the staircase. The fireball roared across the room and slammed into the stairs, reducing them to molten slag.

Seeing she was under attack, the younger Sailor Mars spared a brief glance at the wreckage of the stairs before turning back to her attackers. That was all the time Sailor Venus needed.

"VENUS CRESCENT BEAM SMASH!" The bright energy bolt stabbed outward, crashing into the younger Mars. A glow enveloped Mars for a second as the energy cascaded around her, then she collapsed.

"That was easy," Venus stated.

"It could have been worse," Mars said. "This must be another result of her condition." She quickly retrieved the backup battery pack. "Where is the auxiliary port?"

"Let's see," Venus muttered as she tried to remember. Pointing to the terminals along the starboard side of the room, she began to name them off… "Engineering subsystems….communications subsystems…there…" She pointed.

"Damn," Mars said. "I knew this was going too easy."

The auxiliary port for the sublight engines was a hulking mess. It was where they had just been hiding.

"What now?" Mars asked.

"There's something we've missed," Venus said. "The Engineering station on the Bridge has a auxiliary port. I'll take the battery pack there and plug it in. When I do, you engage the engines."

"Gotcha," Raye said as she handed the battery pack to her friend. "Just be careful."

"Hey," Venus replied with a wink, "it's been easy so far."

== * **SM *==**

As the doors to the Bridge opened, Sailor Venus prepared herself for a murderous spree of anarchy. What she saw was controlled tension as Sandra tried to control a situation that was rapidly spiraling out of control. 

"Amy, report. What is our engine output?"

Amy turned to Sandra with a look of worry on her face. "Engines are at 60%." She said. "The damage from the EMP has disrupted too many relays to give us any more." Despite her worries, Amy's voice was the calm in the midst of the storm.

"Divert all power to the engines," Sandra ordered curtly. The Sailors and Bridge crew scrambled to obey.

"It's not enough," Amy reported. "Engine power up to 67% and the power levels are fluctuating."

Sailor Venus saw that Sailor Neptune was at the Engineering station. Amy was hovering between her post at the Science station and the Tactical station next to it. Both were concentrating on trying to coax more power out of already-tortured power lines and didn't notice when Venus approached the computer terminals.

"Sandra!"

Queen Serenity rushed to the side of her daughter, who was slumped in the command chair, one hand rubbing her forehead. Meanwhile, Venus went to the Engineering station as Neptune approached Sandra to assist. 

Sandra looked up from behind her hand and saw her mother standing nearby. With a growl, Sandra launched herself at her mother. "You!" She shouted as her hands clutched her mother's neck in a vise-like grip. Serenity tried to back away while Amy and Sailor Neptune grabbed onto Sandra and tried to pry her loose.

Venus spared a quick look over at the struggle, then she grabbed and turned the handle on the door to the sublight auxiliary port. Pulling the door out, Venus could see the circular holster where the cylinder-shaped

battery pack would be placed. She slipped the battery pack into the auxiliary port and shut the hatch. Touching a few controls allowed the sublight drive access to the battery pack.

Meanwhile, the struggle on the other side of the Bridge continued.As people tried to separate Sandra and her mother, she howled, "You did this to me! You sent me to face Morga alone!"

Venus quickly looked over to the helm station and saw Sailor Uranus, who looked like she wanted to join in on the battle to save Queen Serenity, but she was busy trying to get the ship loose from the dimensional barrier.

"Uranus!" Venus shouted. "Put all power into the sublight drive!"

"It's already there!" Uranus shouted.

Venus finally got the attention of the other people on the Bridge. Sandra saw the Sailor senshi and her face screwed itself into a mask of fury. "Imposter!" She shouted as she drew her pistol

"Do it now!" Venus yelled.

"Okay," Uranus said simply, and touched a couple controls…

== * **SM *==**

"Shuttle 2 to _Serena," Mina called into the ship's comm system as she looked out the window. The object of her concern hung unmoving a short distance away._

"Shuttle 2, this is Sailor Neptune, aboard the Serena," a voice said. "You don't have a damage control team aboard, do you?"

"No, we don't," Mina replied.

"In that case, please have the Luna Foundation send out a group of shuttles to tow us in," Neptune replied after a short pause.

"Will do," Mina said.

"How did the mission go?" Raye asked.

"With the exception of a few bumps and scrapes," Neptune said, "we've completed the mission. The Cybersailors are destroyed."

"Well," Mina said. "Prepare to let us dock." She wanted to congratulate her friends in person.

"And welcome home."

# FINI

**_Editor's Notes:_**

* - Setsuna's theory about what happened aboard the ship is quite similar to the idea behind the interphase zone in Star Trek's "The Tholian Web"

# Fanfic ã2000 – John Brengman and Artemis Publishing

Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, 

ã 1992 by Toei Animation Co Ltd. and based on Kodansha's

manga production of "Sailor Moon", written by Naoko Takeuchi

This fanfic is freely distributed. Release date: July 10, 2000

Release: 3rd Edition: February 11, 2001


	22. SX#22 - Mindcrime

Sailor X #22Mindcrime

By: John Brengman

Edited by: Thomas Schell

_"I remember now… I remember how it started…"_

_ _

_Queensryche: "Operation Mindcrime" 1988_

"I Remember Now"

The Crystal Palace

Neo-Queen Serenity padded into her room, wrapping herself in a towel as she strolled toward her bed. Gently picking up another towel, Serenity began patting down her silk-like hair. She sighed blissfully as she sank into the drowsy restfulness after her hot bath.

And how she needed it! She and the Sailor soldiers had returned from Cyberworld several days ago, but she still felt worn out from the ordeal.

Grabbing a comb from a nearby nightstand, Neo-Queen Serenity approached the large standing mirror that was perched near the door. Her reflection began to resolve itself as she approached.

Suddenly, Neo Queen Serenity gasped and she stepped back in terror.

Her brush dropped to the carpet.

Serenity stared nearly petrified by the image in the mirror…

The reflection was not hers

Instead, a monster stepped from the mirror into the room. She was tall and slender with light blue skin and darker blue hair. Her suit consisted of a simple blue and green outfit. A large green Dark Moon gem protruded from a spot at the base of her throat, and a wicked-looking yellow horn stood in the center of her forehead.

"You…" Serenity gasped. "You're dead!"

"Not exactly," the monster growled. "You killed my sister, and now you're gonna pay!"

"Your sister?" Serenity stammered as she backed toward the bed to try to put some distance between her and the creature.

"My sister and I were in the service of Avery and Prizma, of the Dark Moon family."

Serenity by this time had the bed between her and the monster, and was trying to edge slowly toward her locket, which sat in its place on her dresser.

"Avery and Prizma were cleansed," Serenity stated as if that statement by itself would banish the monster..

"Yes," the monster growled. "You made short work of the Dark Moon family. You have no idea how powerful hatred and revenge can be! I have waited for years for the right time to strike back at you for destroying my sister, and now that time has arrived!"

"You'll have to find another time for your revenge," Serenity said, the calm returning to her voice as she grabbed her Moon Scepter and shouted, "COSMIC MOON…"

A vicious claw slammed into Neo-Queen Serenity, and she was thrown against the dresser, shattering the mirror that stood atop it with a loud clatter. The Moon Scepter skidded out of reach as Serenity dropped to the floor.

Vaulting herself across the bed, the monster grabbed the queen by the hair and pulled her roughly to her feet. She fixed Serenity with a firm stare. The queen realized what was happening and shut her eyes, but it was too late. The monster appeared inside her mind.

"Welcome to my world!" The monster howled in victory.

"Neo-Queen Serenity screamed from within the prison that was now her mind.

***

_"I used to trust the media to tell us the truth, tell us the truth._

_But now I see the payoffs everywhere I look._

_Who do you trust when everyone's a crook?"_

_ _

_Queensryche: "Operation Mindcrime" 1988_

_"Revolution Calling"_

_ _

Through a fuzzy haze, a new reality came into focus…

"Ah, you're awake," the man in the white lab coat said as his features became visible. Taking out a light pen, he checked the visual responses of the woman laying on the examination table in front of him. "You're lucky we found you when we did. You might have been picked up by the police for vagrancy."

"What…happened?" The woman asked.

"I'm not sure how you got where you were," the doctor said., "but since your rather remarkable tirade against the politicians in the park two days ago, we've been watching you. When our men found you passed out in an alley not far from here, I had them bring you here."

Her eyes began to clear, and the woman focused on the doctor. "What do you want from me?"

"Well," came the reply. "If you are sincere, and not ranting just to get attention, then perhaps we have a common cause, and a common enemy. If not, you will be given a hot meal and a ride to a homeless shelter."

"I'm listening," the woman said.

"Well," the doctor said. "In your speech, you complained about how the politicians never listen to any of the people they supposedly represent, and how the Church often stops short of really helping the people in need. While those are not your exact words, I can assure you they were quite rousing and effective."

Parts of a speech began to float to the surface of the woman's mind. "Yes, I think I remember parts of it now…"

"Yes," the doctor continued. "You talked about how things like 'compassionate conservatism' and representing 'the people, and not the powerful' are just slogans meant to lull the populace like sheep into giving away their vote, and the Church hides in the shadows and emerges every so often to try to gain control of the whole show by joining in the elections themselves."

"So how do you fit in?" The woman asked.

"To borrow from an old children's rhyme, your words will never hurt anyone. However, I can make sure you will have the sticks and stones necessary for you to become something much more than a simple street demonstrator. You can become an avatar of the people, a soldier of truth and justice."

"What about love?" The woman whispered.

"What?"

"N..nothing. You were saying?"

"Do you think you'd be interested in joining our group?"

"I'll do what I can to help the people," the woman said coldly.

"Very well," the doctor said as he produced a syringe that contained a bright red liquid.

"What is that?" The woman asked.

"Your first step in joining us is training, but we can not disclose our location to people, so this will render you unconscious until you arrive.

"By the way," the doctor said as he pressed the needle into the woman's left arm. "What is your name?"

A fire blazed through the woman's mind as the drug raced through her blood. Through a thunderous haze, she heard herself think, "Tsukino Usagi."

"Nicole…..Lassiter."

"Well Nikki," the doctor said with a grin. "Welcome to Operation Mindcrime."

As she drifted off, Nikki realized that the doctor's hand was a little too far up on her thigh for comfort, but she could not force herself to move. Instead, her mind was drowned by the fiery dragon that blazed through her veins.

The orderlies wheeled the woman on the emergency bed out of the doctor's offices and into a nearby van.

As the heavy wooden door closed behind them, black lettering stared out from the gold metallic

background…..

STEPHEN TOMOE, MD

== * **SM *==**

Neo-Queen Serenity looked as though she were simply asleep in the medical bedthat seemed to be buried under the displays that flashed across the transparent panel that covered one entire wall of Amy's office in the Medical Center.

However, a careful look at the patient, and a glance at the displays would tell a different story. Serenity was in a near-coma-like state, and concern was painted on the faces of those gathered in Amy's office.

"We've run scans of the queen's room," Mina said as she tried to keep the utter helplessness out of her voice. "We found a trace of negative energy and ran it through the computer." Touching a couple buttons on the table produced a picture that popped up over the top of some of the diagnostic readings. A sullen-looking monster slowly rotated within the computer frame.

"We killed it!" Raye broke in. "I was there when we did it!"

"Apparently we didn't," Mina replied with a glance at the pale form that was laying in the next room.

"Quiet you two," Amy said sternly, and the tone of her voice actually caused Mina and Raye to do exactly that. Sandra glowered from a spot near the back of the room, and most of the elders were crowded around the long conference table while the younger Sailors stood behind their mentors.

Once Amy was sure she held everyone's attention, she spoke.

"According to our database, Droid Hypnotica had a sister named Nightmare."

"But," Lita protested. "We dested the driods and the Dark Moon family that controlled them. Shouldn't that have taken care of all of them?"

"Not necessarily," Raye said quietly.

"Raye's right," Amy said. "None of the droids were linked to the Dark Moon family in a way that would have affected them in the way you're thinking."

"So this new monster has possessed the queen, like Hypnotica once did?" Mina asked.

Amy touched a couple buttons, and the picture of the monster faded away. A moving chart lit up, and the Sailors could clearly see that it was a current brain reading from Neo-Queen Serenity.

"Right off the bat, we can see something wrong within the queen's brain", Amy said. She pointed to two lines on the scans. One line was orange and moved in a seemingly-random, but slow fashion.. The other wasbright green and seemed to be more purposeful in its movements.

"The human body only produces one brainwave," Amy said. "As you can see here, there are two. The orange one is the queen's brainwave, and from all indications, she's asleep and dreaming."

"The other wave is not a normal function of the human body, and in fact, if you study enough of it, you'll see it's a series of waves that appear to have some similarities. Before the meeting, I had the computer isolate this wave and here's what it is." 

Amy pushed a button on the table and from the speakers came the cacophonous blaring of an electrical guitar amid the beat of drums. Then a voice started singing.:

"Hey Nikki you know everything

that there is to do.

Here's a gun. Take it home.

Wait by the phone.

We'll send someone over 

to bring you what you need.

You're a one-man death machine.

Make this city bleed."

"She's singing in her sleep?" Cass asked quietly.

"No," Amy said. "Remember that this is an abnormal thing to have in the human brain, and remember the monster that we are talking about."

"So how can projecting a song into Serenity's mind harm her?" Vanessa asked.

"We have all the pieces of the puzzle," Raye said softly. "Let's put them together."

"Ok," Mina replied. "We have an attack by a monster similar to Hypnotica…"

"Queen Serenity in a dream-state," Lita said.

"And a song playing in her mind…" Cass quipped.

Vanessa was the first to interrupt the silence that followed.

"Revenge."

"But revenge means that Nightmare wants to punish Neo-Queen Serenity," Brandy said from her spot behind Mina. "How?"

"I'm not sure," Amy replied. "That would depend on what the point of the music is, and how it interacts with her. However, her life signs have begun to drop and I am seeing other things I don't like." With that, she got up and went over to the display window. She tapped a couple of buttons on it and a message appeared:

THAT PROCEDURE IS INADVISABLE. CONTINUE?

Amy responded by tapping a control button once.

In the next room, a microscope-like device slowly dropped down from the ceiling into a position hovering above the center of the body that was laying on the bed.

Amy touched another few buttons, and a light stabbed out of the scope and touched the body of Neo-Queen Serenity.A flurry of gasps sounded behind her and Amy quieted them with a "Shhh!"

The light seemed to blur a bit at the point where it touched Serenity and then with a small flash of light, a glowing star-like object appeared over Serenity's chest.

"Her pure heart!" Michiru whispered fiercely.

Haruka was more blunt. Standing up from her chair, she growled: "What are you doing?"

"I'm looking for something," Amy said. "And besides, the scope is not harmful, and neither is having her pure heart out of her body in this case because the beam maintains the connection between the pure heart and her body."

"What are you looking for?" Raye asked.

Touching a few buttons caused a new picture to appear on the glasslike wall. "This," Amy said pointing to the new picture.

The pure heart of Neo-Queen Serenity seemed to float within the frame of the picture.

"I don't see anything," Rachel said as she studied the picture.

With a couple of taps of a button, the pure heart seemed to explode as the view zoomed inward. Now the Sailors could clearly see weltering blister-like lesions on a portion of the pure heart.

"What the Hell…" Haruka gasped.

"I don't know what exactly is happening," Amy said. "But my gut says that this is the effect of the monster's attack on the queen. If we don't capture Nightmare and force her to stop this, the queen's pure heart will be destroyed, and she will die."

Brandy felt some movement off to her side and when she looked, Sandra was gone. She quietly slipped out of the nearby door and ran after her friend.

== * **SM *==**

When Brandy caught up with Sandra, she was leaning against a hallway railing gazing at the moonscape beyond the shielded window. Soon she too was lounging against the railing, and after a few moments of staring at Sandra, she broke the silence.

"I know that look," she said as though she was divulging a state secret. "It's the 'deep thought' look. Care to share?"

"Actually, I don't." Sandra stated simply.

"Let's make that an order then."

Sandra stepped forward, her eyes glaring at Brandy. "Go away before I hurt you," she growled.

Brandy stood her ground. "I would," she said, "but you see, I managed to convince Amy after you stormed out that with all the stress of the past month or so, you might not be fit for duty. You're suspended as of five minutes ago, and the only way you get out of it is to tell me what's bugging you, so out with it."

"I don't like talking about myself," Sandra protested, but Brandy simply stood patiently waiting

After a long pause it all came out in a rush.

"I am sure that if I had been a little bit faster, Cyberjupiter never would have gotten hold of my mother, and she never would have been taken to Cyberworld and cloned and she never would have almost died on the way home. I don't know how it happened, but mother got attacked and kidnapped again from the Palace and I am sure I could have stopped it if I had been there to help."

"There. Are you happy now?" The whisper sounded like a shout.

"You don't have to blame yourself for all of this," Brandy said softly. "You might not have been able to stop any of the things you are blaming yourself for."

"Oh, I know that too!" Sandra shouted. "Either I am not anywhere nearby to help or I am powerless to stop it when it happens. Either way, it's my fault!"

"Amy was right then," Brandy said. "You have been stressed out this past month."

"You bet," Sandra replied. "I've been stressed out this past month, this past year, and every year since I became Sailor Moon. I'm the leader of the Sailor soldiers, and it is my responsibility to protect Earth and the Moon Kingdom from harm, and I sure as Hell have done a wonderful job of that, haven't I?"

"You need to rest," Brandy said, "and time to think, to clear your head. I'll tell Amy to put you on the inactive list." She turned to go.

"No!" Sandra's hand shot forward almost of its own will and stopped Brandy, who turned back around.

"You can't tell Amy," Sandra murmured. Brandy could see the tears that her friend hid behind walls as thick as steel. "You can't."

"Why?" Brandy asked quietly. "The best thing you can do is take a few days off, and…"

"And do what? Sandra interrupted angrily. "Go in there and sit there while the queen….my mother…." The rest was lost in soft crying. Brandy came to Sandra and tried to drown her friend's tears in a hug. The two girls stood like that for a few moments, then Sandra stiffened as though she was surprised by her friend's closeness. She backed up a couple of steps, and Brandy saw that the tears were gone.

"I have never begged for anything in my life," Sandra said, her voice wavering slightly. "But, I'm doing it now. Please. I have to be out there. I can't do any good for her in here/"

"Alright," Brandy replied. "But you know the rest of us will be watching you. That's what good team-mates do."

At about that time, Luna bounded into the corridor and came to a stop near the two girls. "Come quick," she said. "Amy has a plan to find Nightmare."

"Ok," Brandy said.

"Let's do it," Sandra said as together she and Brandy headed back to the Medical Center.

== * **SM *==**

_"The system we learn says we're equal under law._

_But the streets are reality. The weak and poor will fall!_

_Let's tip the power balance, and tear down their crown._

_Educate the masses, we'll burn the White House down!:_

_ _

_Queensryche: "Operation Mindcrime" 1988_

_"Speak!"_

The voice boomed out over the loudspeakers, blasting out to the crowd and echoing into the back hallways and rooms. 

"Can you feel the spirit of the Lord flowing out from this stage?" The voice asked. "He is flowing over you, cleansing you, purifying your mind and soul and readying you for His mission."

The figure slipped by the crumpled body slumped against the wall, and seemed to flow around a nearby corner.

"But while His spirit can ready, we must also prepare earthly forces for the fight against the dark forces that we know are coming."

The shadowy figure slipped into the darkness behind the stage as a couple of people walked nearby.

"In order to make sure that His forces are ready to fight whatever evils the Devil might throw at them, they will need to lean upon your generosity for support for a short time. So, I ask that you give what you can to help our crusade against evil. Make your checks out to Heavenly Gate Ministries…"

Three young girls rushed by the figure as it walked toward the curtains that formed the back wall of the stage. The girls carried large platters that would soon circulate through the audience.

"Yes, I can see the gracious spirit of the people now. I can feel His presence upon this gathering, and I know that his work will be done."

A stage worker dropped to the floor. Normally it would be a waste to eliminate people who were not the target, but in this instance, the man was obviously guilty and soiled from participating in this charade.

"And the more support our ministry receives, the more work we can do in His name.

The figure got into position hidden behind the curtains, the nose of the gun barely peeking beyond their flimsy silkiness.

"So I ask you now to raise your hands in celebration of His great work. As you reach deep into your hearts and pocketbooks, I want you to take His Hand…"

A flood of words coursed through the mind of the assassin. 

"…in the name of the Moon…"

"…champion of love and justice…"

"…I shall punish you…"

As she rechecked her aim, the woman murmured quietly: "In the name of justice, I shall punish you."

The trigger was pulled. The pistol kicked lightly.

Deep silence flooded the stage.

== * **SM *==**

_"In the wooden chair beside my window._

_I wear a face born in the falling rain._

_I talk to shadows from a lonely candle._

_Recite the phrases from the wall…I can't explain…_

_…this holy pain._

_ _

_Queensryche: "Operation Mindcrime" 1988_

_"The Mission"_

"What do you mean we can't find her?" Amy said sternly at the com unit mounted into her desk as she studied the medical readings of her patient.

"Just what I said," came the reply. "The Sailors have covered about sixty percent of the surface of the planet and haven't found a trace of Nightmare."

"Bull!" Rachel quipped from where she was leaning against the wall. Amy angrily waved her silent.

"Sensors in the shuttles are at maximum?"

"Yes ma'am," came the reply.

"They're not leaving any areas unscanned?"

"Nope."

"Okay," Amy sighed. "I'll deal with it."

"Roger that," the man replied. "Luna Foundation Control out."

Amy leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes in order to concentrate. What was she missing? There was one thing…

"None of the sensors are malfunctioning," Rachel said. "They were checked after we returned from Cyberworld."

"Yes," Amy replied. "Not only are the shuttles' sensors working, but every inch of the shuttles themselves has been checked, and they are in perfect working order."

"Our sensor suite is working properly?"

"Yes," Amy said as she mentally checked that possibility off her list. The connection from the Luna Foundation to the shuttles was also in working order, and the Sailors would all converge on one point as soon as any one of them signaled that they had found their quarry.

"There isn't a storm on the planet strong enough to obstruct sensors?"

"Noo…" Amy replied slowly, realization dawning on her face. "But perhaps…" She quickly arose from her chair and approached the wall display that currently showed the queen's life-signs.

"Computer," she said. "Please show me the Sol system, all current conditions." The wall sprang to life as a diagram of the solar system was flashed onto it and everything from storm activity on Jupiter to current rotational positions of all of the planets was displayed. 

"I knew it!" Amy said, her eyes widening.

"What is it?" Rachel asked. The com beeped again, and Rachel toggled the unit's text mode and peered into the screen.

"Solar flares are up twenty-four percent," Amy said. "Just enough to throw our sensors off. I'll relay instructions to the shuttles that will correct for that."

Within a few minutes of that, Sailor Venus radioed that she had discovered where Nightmare was and was heading in.

"Well," Rachel said as she slipped into a flight suit. "From one trouble into another."

"What's wrong now?" Amy asked.

"We just received a message from the Timegate." Rachel said. "It's open. Someone's coming for a visit, and there's no clue on who it is."

"Perfect…" Amy sighed sarcastically.

**== * SM *==**

The police sirens wailed nearby as the woman scrambled over a chain-link fence. A search light from a police cruiser stabbed into the darkness above her head just as she dropped to the ground. Her nerves tingling, she laid prone as the yellowish light cut through the night, probing for her. Through the drugs, she could feel every speck of dirt that fought for space, every pebble that bit into her.

Then with a sudden chill, she noticed that the search light was gone. Alow moan announced that the police car was leaving, resuming its search for the person responsible for the sixth murder of a politician or minister in the past three weeks.

Brushing the dead leaves off of herself, the woman glanced around to see her surroundings. A small church was shrouded by some low-hanging branches of a pair of trees. The chain-link fence guarded the church and the smaller building next to it. In the middle of the yard, a large stone statue stood pouring water into a pool at its feet. 

Suddenly there was a flash.

_"Serena Tsukino, daughter of our beloved queen," a blue-haired woman said. "For what reason do you come before us?"_

"I come to serve," Serena said as she put the wash basin down, removed Amy's shoes, and started to wash her feet."

_A thin crown appeared on a lace pillow at her feet…_

Suddenly there was a flash.

Stunned, the woman glanced around again to get her bearings. The fountain that was in front and to the left of her was now behind her and she stood at the back door of the church building. She pulled on the door and it opened, allowing her to slip inside. 

She soon emerged into the chapel area of the church and quietly crossed the altar and seemed to float down the stairs. A kaleidoscope of colors drowned the room from the stained-glass windows and the woman seemed drawn to their beauty. She stopped near the center of the room to look at them. So pretty. So pure…innocent…unlike her. She had killed people…with her bare hands….had seen them…eyes glazing.

"I thought I heard you come in," a voice said behind her. She jumped, slightly startled, then turned around. A young man with black hair stood behind her. He was wearing priest's clothing, the white collar peeking out. 

"I've told you to quit doing that!" The woman hissed. "You know I carry a gun. I could have shot you!"

"Then I'd die a happy man," the priest said as he put his arms on the woman's shoulders. He bent down and kissed her. She could feel an urgency in his lips.

"Oh Darien…" She whispered as the two of them fell into the aisle between the wooden pews.

**== * SM *==**

Amy stared intently at the new pictures on the glass-like wall Blood pressure and breathing were beginning to fall off. Other bodily functions were slow. However, Amy's attention was drawn to the crystalline shape hanging suspended in the light of the scope. Black scars marred its surface and the boiling lesions seemed to cover what was not scarred. 

"Give me a status report," Amy said, seemingly to herself.

"We're closing on the Biotechnica Research Labs now," Sailor Venus replied over the communication system. "We should make contact in the next five minutes."

"Who is with you?"

"Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Neptune."

Amy glanced at the crystal hanging above the body of Neo-Queen Serenity and shuddered. The damage had visibly worsened within the last minute.

"Hurry…" she moaned. "I don't think she has much time left."

Right then, another voice came over the speaker. "Amy, you asked for updates from the Timegate…."

"Yes?"

"It's still open," the voice said. "It's been like this since we first reported activity. Every indication we have says someone is about to come through, but…"

"Get all available Sailors down there," Amy ordered. "Also have reinforcements ready, just in case."

"Yes, ma'am," the voice said.

Amy sat back in her chair worriedly. Things were moving too fast. And just what was happening with the Timegate? Both of these were things she could not control, so she leaned forward again and tried to think of something that would help her patient…perhaps the only thing in this whole mess that she could still control.

**== * SM *==**

_"Kill her. That's all you have to do."_

_"Kill Mary?"_

_"She's a risk. And get the priest as well."_

_Queensryche: "Operation Mindcrime" 1988_

_"Suite Sister Mary"_

"Even in death  
You still look sad.  
Don't leave me.  
Don't leave me...here  
I want what you feel, believe me.  
Turn the current on."

_Queensryche: "Operation Mindcrime" 1988_

_"Electric Requiem"_

The rain fell in torrents, drenching the woman. Water streamed through her hair, matting it to her face. Water soaked her clothing, plastering it to her skin as she ran almost aimlessly through the back alleys of the city.

She didn't notice the rain. Her eyes were still haunted by the scene at the church.

…Sister Fleming lies face-down on the floor near the heavy wooden door…the holy water spilled across her body….her rosary wrapped tightly around her throat…her eyes gazing into nothingness…

…the priest lies slumped against the altar…a bloody hole in his head from the bullet…a trickle of blood flowing down his face…his sightless eyes gazing into nothingness…

"Darien…" The thought floated through her mind just as a voice behind her shouted: "Stop!" She ran. A gunshot rang out some distance away and the woman heard the bullet ricochet off a nearby wall.

She ran. Turning a corner just as a bullet nicked the brick structure that seemed to tower above her, she suddenly stopped. The alley dead-ended not far ahead. The pavement in the cul-de-sac was littered with debris and garbage that noisily protested the rain that cascaded down on it. Graffiti covered the brick walls here like a second skin. A somber brown metal door stood atop a small set of wooden stairs. A light fixture jutted out from the wall above the door, but it was twisted sideways and the light bulb was missing.

The woman rushed across the cul-de-sac and up the stairs to the door. Grabbing the knob, she turned…locked.

"Damn!" She cried as she turned. The rain continued to pour from the sky, soaking her face and shirt. Her denim coat was soaked and she leaned against the door and put her head back…

"We know you did it…"

She jolted up looking for the person responsible for the voice. No one. Her head sagged forward.

"Why'd you do it?"

Again, her head jerked upward, and again, the alley was devoid of people except herself.

"Why'd you do it?" The voice seemed to echo from the brick walls. Then she noticed the walls. The graffiti was moving…swimming in a way. The painted letters scrambled themselves from the gangland signs and boasts that they had been and morphed into something else. Slowly, accusations began to form on the walls…"Why'd you do it?" "Murderer!" "We know you did it…" And as each word formed, the accusation seemed to bleed from the wall into her mind.

"We know you did it…"

"Why'd you do it?"

"Nikky," the priest's voice moaned. 

"_Darien_!" She screamed within her mind.

"Why you do it?"

"We know you did it…"

"Why'd you do it?"

"No!" The woman screamed in vain as the voices assaulted her. "Nooooooo!" She fell from the stairs, but her mind didn't notice.

A police car rolled up near a body. An officer soon approached the body with a flashlight. He toggled a button on his radio. "Central, this is Eagle-Charlie 17" he said. "I have a female body on 46th, near Albany. She has long blonde hair and blue eyes. She's curled in a fetal position. I'm taking her to a hospital."

"Ten-four, Eagle-Charlie 17…"

**== * SM *==**

Five women shimmered into existence outside the imposing structures that made up the Biotechnica Research Labs.

Glancing around, Sailor Mars sighed. "This is going to take forever!"

"No, it won't." Venus said grimly. "I've narrowed the scan. The monster is in the warehouses on the far side of the labs."

"That's a long way to go," Neptune said quietly. "How are we going to get there?"

"I can't teleport us there without knowing where I am going," Jupiter replied. "If I teleported us blindly, there's no telling where we might end up."

Sailor Moon started forward. 

"We walk," she said. "Quickly."

**== * SM *==**

_"Empty room today, and here I sit._

_Chalk outline upon the wall._

_I remember tracing it…"_

_ _

_"There's no sleep today. I can't pretend._

_When all my dreams are crimes, I can't stand facing them._

_Now who will come to wash away my sins?_

_Clean my room?_

_Fix my meals?_

_Be my friend?"_

_Queensryche: "Operation Mindcrime" 1988_

_"My Empty Room"_

From amidst the haze of her mind, the woman reached out, trying to find something solid to hold onto. Through blurred vision she sometimes saw the people in their white coats, sometimes with small white caps. Other times she only saw the blurry shapes.

But she could always hear voices. Sometimes they were close…people discussing her condition, making diagnoses, prognoses, and decisions. When she tried to open her mouth to interject, no sound would come out. At other times the voices seemed far away. Those voices kept accusing her.

"We know you did it…."

She tried shutting those voices out but they were never banished. Instead, they seemed to laugh and then they continued to accuse.

"She doesn't seem to be responding to the drugs, doctor," a feminine voice said.

"It's the after-effects of 'Dragon,'" a male voice replied. "Prepare a level three treatment. First, administer a sedative to help her relax."

"Yes doctor," the female voice replied.

A needle bit into her arm, and almost immediately, a darkness rolled over the haze…"

"No…" the woman moaned. "Don't….don't take my…mind…"

**== * SM *==**

"And I raise my head and stare

into the eyes of a stranger.

I've always known that the mirror never lies."

_Queensryche: "Operation Mindcrime" 1988_

_"Eyes of a Stranger"_

"Stop right there!"

The monster turned from within the midst of the stacks of crates to stare at the five Sailors who had cornered her.

One of the young women stepped forward. "You put a spell on someone I love and sucked her into your sick dream world and I won't have it! I'm Sailor Moon, and in the name of the moon, I shall punish you!"

"I will punish you in the name of the planet Venus!" Sailor Venus shouted.

The monster glared at Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Neptune as they made similar predictions of punishment on behalf of their patron planets.

"What do you want?" Nightmare asked. "How dare you disturb me. I've done nothing to you!"

"Oh, but you have," Sailor Moon growled. "You attacked my mother, and now you are going to undo what you have done."

"Not likely," the monster replied flatly.

Sailor Moon's cobalt-blue eyes flashed angrily. "To Hell with you," she growled. "You're going down…MOON TIARA MAGIC!"

Sailor Moon threw her tiara at the monster, who leapt out of the way. The tiara slammed into the crates behind where the monster had been, capsizing the stacks.

"Hey Sailor Moon," Jupiter said as she freed herself from the clutter. "Chill out. We'll nail this creep."

"Just attack it," came the angry response.

"Looks like you need some target practice," the monster taunted from the ceiling.

"Yeah, well catch this, " Mars said. "MARS FIRE IGNITE!" A scorching fireballshot up toward the monster, who rolled out of the way. The fireball slammed into the ceiling and blasted a hole through the metal before exploding.

"Thanks for the door," Nightmare chortled as she dashed through the opening.

"Damn," Venus muttered. "Let's go after her!"

"Right!" Sailor Moon replied, her determination evident.

With a series of leaps and bounds, the Sailors scaled the crates to the ceiling, then jumped through the hole onto the roof.

As the Sailors jumped out onto the roof, they were met with a hail of energy bolts. Sailor Moon looked up to see a gloating Nightmare.

"I would have thought you'd know better than to fall into such an obvious trap," the monster sneered.

"Not…done…yet," Sailor Moon replied through the pain. "MOON STAFF!" A long wooden staff appeared in her hand. From her position sprawled on her back, Sailor Moon flipped the staff around and pointed it toward the villain.

"MOON ZERO MAGIC!" A disk of destructive magic appeared at the tip of the staff and floated outward _towards the monster, who dove to the ground just in time to avoid being hit._

"Now!" Sailor Moon shouted.

"VENUS LOVE CHAIN ENCRICLE!"

"MARS FIRE IGNITE!"

"JUPITER THINDER CRASH!"

"NEPTUNE DEEP SUBMERGE!"

The Sailors had read Sailor Moon's eyes and knew where she wanted them to attack. The result was that Nightmare dodged Sailor Moon's attack by jumping directly into the others. A guttural scream was heard as the energy poured through her.

The attacks faded away, and the villain slowly stumbled to her feet. Sailor Moon stepped forward. "I don't like repeating myself," she said. "Release my mother. It's your last chance."

"Okay…" Nightmare said as she stood gasping for breath.

Just then, Amy's voice came over the Sailors' wrist communicators.

"We're too late. Neo-Queen Serenity has died."

**== * SM *==**

_"I don't know what this means._

I leave it for your interpretation.

_It's just me….at the edge…_

_Revenge…._

_Yeah revenge…_

_I'm revenge…._

_Revenge._

_Queensryche: "Q2K" 1999_

_"Liquid Sky"_

"We're too late. Neo-Queen Serenity has died."

"Time's up…" Sailor Moon said quietly as she started toward the villain whose eyes started to widen as she saw the approaching senshi.

"Oh Hell," Sailor Venus muttered as she rushed forward to try to stop her friend. The other Sailors realized what was happening also started forward.

Sailor Moon slammed through the monster's frantic attempts to protect herself with her arms. She lunged forward, grabbing the villain's neck and started squeezing and shaking.

"I…can…hel…p…" Nightmare struggled through the vise-like grip to say, but the stranglehold that Sailor Moon had on her tightened even more. 

The other Sailors reached Sailor Moon and started trying to pull the two combatants apart. Mars and Jupiter tried shaking Sailor Moon, but succeeded only in shaking the monster more violently.

"Sailor Moon," Venus said sternly as she tried prying her friend's arms apart. "This is not right! It won't bring Neo-Queen Serenity back to us!"

Sailor Moon tightened her hold on the villain's neck as she felt the terrible sadness welling up within her. But the need for vengeance, for final justice won out over remorse.

Then it was over, and Nightmare was laying in a crumpled heap as a light rain began to fall.

"Is she…? Sailor Moon could not bear to complete the question.

Venus checked the body for vital signs. Looking up gravely at Sailor Moon, she nodded.

"Good…" Sailor Moon muttered as the tears welled up in her eyes and the flood of sadness conquered the flame of vengeance.

**== * SM *==**

The Sailors and palace guards stood in a ring around the circular pool-like orifice that dominated the room. The liquid etherealness within the Timegate bubbled and boiled, the pale purple light mixed with the red lights of the Luna Foundation's red alert status lights. 

Suddenly, a shadowy form appeared under the surface of the roiling substance, and the guards tensed on the triggers of their rifles. The Sailors stood ready to add their attacks to a stream of metal.

"Pluto!" Sailor Uranus shouted over her shoulder. "Any idea of who is coming?"

Sailor Pluto looked up form the nearby control panel. "The only thing I can be sure of is that whoever it is, they're from 30th Century Crystal Tokyo."

"Great," Sailor Mercury. "That only means it could be someone from the royal family, or the Darkmoon family."

Before anyone could answer, a head poked up out of the Timegate. As the guards and Sailors watched, a visitor from the future stepped into the room.

"I don't have time for this," the newcomer said with a scowl toward the nearby guards. "I came here to help my mom."

"I'm afraid you're too late," Sailor Uranus replied.

"Not according to the _real _Sailor Pluto," Rini said with a glance at Sailor Pluto who merely stared back at her. "She said I would be right on time."

TO BE CONTINUED

# Fanfic ã2000 – John Brengman and Artemis Publishing

Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, 

ã 1992 by Toei Animation Co Ltd. and based on Kodansha's

manga production of "Sailor Moon", written by Naoko Takeuchi

This fanfic is freely distributed. Release date: September 30, 2000

Release: 3rd Edition: February 11, 2001


	23. SX#23 - Damaged

Sailor X #23Damaged

By: John Brengman

Edited by: Thomas Schell

From Sailor X #22:

"She doesn't seem to be responding to the drugs, doctor," a feminine voice said.

"It's the after-effects of 'Dragon,'" a male voice replied. "Prepare a level three treatment. First, administer a sedative to help her relax."

"Yes doctor," the female voice replied.

A needle bit into her arm, and almost immediately, a darkness rolled over the haze…"

"No…" the woman moaned. "Don't….don't take my…mind…"

**== * SM *==**

"All I see is damage through the haze."

_Queensryche: "Promised Land" 1994_

_"Damaged"_

Sunlight flickered through a window that didn't seem to have been there before. At least, the seven-year-old girl didn't remember the window being there. The bed, with its dirty white sheets and dusty blankets seemed taller than she remembered. There were two mattresses. She blinked. The bed was lower, and had one mattress. She glanced at the floor near the door and gasped.

The chalk outline that she had drawn was gone.

A loud crackle startled the girl and she turned back to the window…and saw the echo of a lightning bolt within a torrent of rain. Holes in the ceiling and walls appeared and a gust of cold wind howled through her hair.

The girl stepped to the edge of the nearest hole and gazed out. Rain fell in waves and she could not see beyond the concrete wall that surrounded the buildings of the hospital.

The girl stepped outside the hole.

_::flash::_

Gray clouds broiled overhead and a deep fog covered the ground. The eight-year old girl stood outside the brick wall that surrounded the hospital. Across the street, a street lamp flickered weakly, then burned brightly. The fog on the ground reflected the light softly.

Something inside told the girl it was time to leave this place. Crossing the street, the girl headed off into the fog-filled night.

**== * SM *==**

A young pink-haired girl marched sternly into the Medical Center and saw Amy near the back of her office, intently studying the computer screen that was perched near the upper corner of the room near the diagnostic window that looked in on the medical beds in the next room.

The Sailors seemed to follow Rini as though she might snap at them if they didn't.

"Ahem," Rini growled.

"Oh," Amy jumped, startled. "Rini. You were the one who came through the Timegate?"

"Yep," Rini replied. "I was told I would be able to help my mom."

"I told her she was too late," Sailor Uranus said.

"But," Rini said with a touch of concern: perhaps Uranus was right, "Sailor Pluto told me that I would arrive here in time to save her."

"Hmmmm…" Amy murmured as she looked up at the computer screen and tapped the bottom of her chin with her thumb.

"You might be right, Rini."

"Huh?" The Sailors seemed to say in unison.

"I've done some checking," Amy said. "The Silver Crystal is attuned to the essence of Neo-Queen Serenity, while at the same time, it has its own innate properties. It is my belief that since we've cloned the queen, the Silver Crystal should attune itself to the clone."

Amy got up and walked into the next room. Through the glass, the Sailors and Rini watched as Amy picked up the golden locket that contained the Silver Crystal. Pressing the small button at the bottom, Amy opened the locket and was bathed in a faint pale light. 

"It's still active," Amy reported. "But it's faint."

Putting the open locket down next to the body of the clone, Amy and the Sailors waited.

And waited.

And waited.

The Silver Crystal continued to glow faintly from the locket.

"Something should have happened by now," Sailor Moon said as she quietly slipped into the room from amongst the waiting Sailors.

"Yes," Amy replied. "I am trying to think about what might be wrong."

"Her life signs and brain waves are all normal," Sailor Venus said.

"Yes," Amy said. "And except for the death of the original Neo-Queen Serenity, the Silver Crystal is also okay." Something in Amy's voice made Venus glance over to her. And Venus saw it. As Amy continued to check on various things that might be the cause of the Silver Crystal's non-responsiveness, Venus could see that Amy was throwing herself into saving the queen in order to keep herself from falling into a deep chasm of despair. The worry on Amy's face loomed very large behind her blue eyes.

Sailor Moon also seemed lost in thought…

…Dropping the Moon Staff, Sailor Moon concentrated on the Crescent Moon Wand in the cyborg's hand. She visualized its surfaces, the handle, the curve of the crescent moon that encircled the crystal that was the heart of the wand. Then she visualized the Imperium Silver Crystal, with all of its facets all shimmering and sparkling with inner energy.

_Even when the Cyberqueen wrapped Sailor Moon in micro-filaments and again, jolts of energy raced through the senshi, she fought through the burning pain to focus further in on the Crescent Moon Wand and the Imperium Silver Crystal….until she could feel a hint of the power within the crystal._

_Just then, the cyborg noticed the light coming from the Moon Wand. Having never used the artifact, the Cyberqueen tossed it aside. The wand bounced off the scorched wall and landed in front of the cyborg. The crystal at the center of the wand flickered, pulsed, and flared, as if it were angry…_

"A machine…" Sailor Moon murmured.

"What?" Amy asked.

"The Crystal is not seeing the clone as Neo-Queen Serenity," Sailor Moon answered. "Even though she has the same looks, she doesn't have the same mind."

"How do we help?" Venus asked.

After a brief silence, Amy spoke softly: "Maybe it's like amnesia, and the queen simply needs to be reminded of who she is."

"How do we do that?" Rini asked.

"I think I know…" Sailor Moon said. She knelt by the bed and closed her eyes. Reaching out across the short distance, her mind fleetingly felt the thin fabric of the bed sheets, then the warm softness of the queen's skin. Focusing on the queen, Sailor Moon mentally ran her fingers through her mother's hair, down her cheek. Feather-soft touches ran down her neck, onto her chest, and across her breasts. Her fingers continued further, tracing abdominal muscles to the pelvic area, along the legs and finally ending at the feet. The full image of Neo-Queen Serenity formed in Sailor Moon's mind. She could remember every inch of the person that was her mother.

"I see her," Sailor Moon said softly. "I am ready." She started to concentrate on her mother's head, her eyes, the deep black of her pupils.

"Ready for what?" Rini asked. "What do I do?"

"I am not sure," Sailor Moon said distantly. "You'll know what to do when it is time…"

And Sailor Moon then floated out of this world into that world created by the mind of someone else.

**== * SM *==**

The nine-year old girl stepped up to the corner across from the park. Through the thick haze she could see towering trees with their thick branches and broad leaves. A paved walkway snaked its way into the haze amongst the trees into the park.

The girl stepped off the curb to cross the street and enter the park just as a truck appeared out of the mists to her left. From silence suddenly came the roar of a diesel engine.

The girl's head snapped around and she froze terrified in her tracks.

Sandra stepped out of the brick wall just in time to see the young girl step into the street. Suddenly, a diesel engine roared and a large truck appeared out of the haze. Grimly, Sandra lunged forward, running into the street. She leapt toward the terror-stricken girl and snatched her out of the way of the speeding vehicle. As Sandra rolled onto her stomach to protect the girl she had saved, she could feel the gush of air as the truck tore past. Raising her head, she saw the truck heading off into the mists.

Standing quickly, Sandra hauled the girl roughly to her feet.

"What in the hell do you think you were doing?" She shouted. "You almost got yourself killed! Can't you keep yourself safe even in your dreams?"

Big blue eyes looked back at her, then the girl simply shrugged and turned toward the park.

"Hey," Sandra muttered. "Wait up…"

**== * SM *==**

The two girls walked through the lush park. Green leafy trees loomed gigantic and spread shade while golden sunlight peeked and poked its way through, lighting patches of the paved pathway.

"Mind if I ask you a question?"

"Sure," the young girl said.

"Who are you, and how did you get here?"

"That's two questions," the girl quipped.

"Huh?"

"You asked two questions."

"Just answer them."

"My mother told me never to talk to strangers."

Sandra groaned, then she stopped.

"Look at me!" She gasped. She stood about four foot tall and looked a lot younger than she knew she was. "What's happened?"

"I dunno," the girl replied. "I've been getting bigger, and you're getting smaller."

Despite this, somehow, Sandra didn't feel panicked about the situation. A sense of calmness seemed to flutter down from the sunlight. 

"You still haven't answered my questions," Sandra said.

"Oh?"

"Who are you, and how did you get here?"

"Oh….those questions…" The two girls walked in silence for a moment. Sailor Moon gazed over at the young girl as if that act itself could drag the answers from her.

"I don't know how I got here," the girl replied. "But my name is Sarena Tsukino." *

"I'm…..Sandra," the other girl replied, "and I've come to….talk."

"Shhhh!" Usagi said angrily. In the quiet of the park, the sounds of a carnival fairway could be faintly heard in the distance. 

"No talking," Usagi said just before she started to run. "Rides."

"Wait a second!" Sandra yelled as she started to run after the other girl. "I need to talk to you!"

**== * SM *==**

The smells of hot popcorn, pretzels and other fairway delights enticed the girls into a small clearing in the trees. Beneath the towering boughs stood several red-white and blue-striped tents. The oom-pah-pah of the carnival music promised a care-free good time and a stray balloon escaped from somewhere and floated into new-found freedom.

Sandra stepped onto the dirt of the fairway and noticed…there were no other people here except her and Sarena, who was running toward one of the carnival rides. She only had a brief moment to ponder this strangeness before she yelled "Hey, wait up!" And off she ran after the other girl.

The hours went by. First there was the merry-go-round with the plastic horses. Then there was the ride that spun around and made people stick to the walls. Then there was the food, and the petting zoo.

Sandra tried to keep her cool and tag along, but the image of this very same girl in a more adult form laying on a bed in a medical center floated in the back of her mind.

"Sarena…" Sandra tried to say as she reached out for Sarena's hand, but the other girl pulled away. "Come on," she said. "The ferris-wheel is right over this way."

"Wait!" Sandra yelled, but to no avail. With a growl, she took off again after Sarena.

The ferris-wheel finally came to a stop after what seemed to be forever, and Sandra heard a voice yell: "Again!"

"No!" Sandra shouted. "Sarena, we have to go!"

The twelve-year old girl grumpily hopped down from the ride and headed toward the gate. As she exited from the turnstile she started to run toward the next ride that caught her attention only to be yanked back with a yelp.

"Now," Sandra said sternly. "We need to talk."

"But I wanna go on that ride," Sarena yowled, pointing at the nearby ride where people were flying through the air on glorified swing seats.

"No!" Sandra growled. "I need to talk to you now!"

"I don't wanna!"

::SLAP!!::

The thirteen-year old girl stumbled from the force of the blow, her hand grasping at her face. She could feel where her teeth had bruised the inside of her mouth and the pain pounded its way out from there.

Before Sandra could say anything, Sarena glared at her with eyes that welled up with tears.

"_I hate you!_" And with that, Sarena ran crying into the forest.

"Oh Hell.." Sandra sighed as she ran after the fleeing girl.

Behind her, the carnival had completely disappeared.

**== * SM *==**

Sandra had only run a short way before she got back to the path. Funny…it seemed that the path had been further away when she had walked to the carnival.

A somber sunlight filtered through the trees and a breeze gusted through every now and then.

Sandra started to walk up the path in search of Sarena when she stopped suddenly.

The sixteen-year old girl sat under a large tree, her head on her left hand which itself was sitting on an outstretched leg. With her other hand, she played with some leaves and twigs, seemingly stirring all of them aimlessly. Her blonde hair flowed from two odangos and fell into the leaves. Her blue eyes matched the glumness of the scene around her.

Sandra slowly approached, but Sarena didn't seem to notice. She didn't seem to notice as Sandra came up and kneeled beside her.

"I'm sorry," Sandra said. "I should not have done that."

"Done what?" Sarena said with a gaze at the other girl. Sandra saw no red mark at all from where she had slapped Sarena.

"Nothing," She said. "Actually, it's not nothing. It's just that I have been frustrated with you for a while, and when you wouldn't listen, all of that just seemed to rush back in on me, and I lost control."

"You've been frustrated with me?" Sarena asked.

"Yes," came the reply. "For a long time. For years….I mean…"

"No," Sarena said. "Don't hide it. Please tell me."

"You won't understand."

"Try me," Sarena insisted. Sandra looked at Sarena and saw her eyes. Her blue eyes seemed bottomless and knowing. Quietly confident…and serious.

"May I ask you a question?" Sandra asked.

"Sure," came the quiet reply.

"Why did you push me into becoming Sailor Moon?"

Sarena leaned slowly back against the tree and closed her eyes for a second…

_. "I am Sailor Moon, the champion of justice. And I say, on behalf of the Moon, I shall right wrongs and triumph over evil." As she finished the pose that went along with these particular phrases, an angry-looking Sailor Moon said, "and that means you!"_

_Morga was unimpressed. "Sailor Moon? Never heard of you, and I'm sure I never will again!" The monster raised her hands and shouted, "arise my children and serve the great power that is the Negaverse!" As Sailor Moon watched, the patrons of the store arose with a collective moan. They all had blank, lifeless stares, and they moved forward like zombies._

_Sailor Moon backed up as the crowd of zombies approached. "Luna," she half-pleaded. "Help me.. I don't know what to do." The overweight woman-turned-zombie and several others hurled themselves at Sailor Moon, who barely managed to dodge each of them._

_Sailor Moon landed roughly on the floor near some of the stone pillars which supported the building. An attack by Morga slammed Sailor Moon against one of the pillars with a thud. _

_A near-panicked Sailor Moon stared with a glazed look at the floor. "Oww. That hurt. I don't want to do this anymore."_

_Luna slipped up to Sailor Moon from behind the pillar. "Sailor Moon, what are you doing? You must fight this evil monster, or the whole universe could cease to exist."_

_As if hearing Luna's prediction of doom, Morga floated up to the ceiling on the far side of the room and let out a blood-curdling laugh._

_Sailor Moon could not be moved. This was NOT a video game… "I don't want to play this game anymore," she wailed. "Enough! I want to go home!"_

_"Fine!" Morga shouted menacingly. "I'll send youaway for good!" With a growl, she shot her clawed hand out and down toward the near-paralyzed Sailor._

## The claws descended rapidly, and Sailor Moon could see their razor sharpness…

_Luna gasped as she sensed Sailor Moon's impending doom._

_Sailor Moon screamed in terror..._

With a sigh, Sarena opened her eyes. "I was not ready to become Sailor Moon when Luna first appeared to me. I remember screaming my head off and crying about not wanting to play this game, and for a good long while, I didn't take it as seriously as I should have. There were times when the help I got from the others was the thing that kept me from getting seriously hurt. It seemed sometimes as though the Negaverse took their missions a lot more seriously than I did the job of defeating them."

"So," Sarena said. "I didn't want you to make the same mistake that I did, and I ended up making another one. I am sorry."

The two girls sat silently for a few moments. Sandra looked at Sarena and could see a strong maturity within her. The effect of her words was calming, and Sandra knew that Sarena had spoken them straight from her heart.

Lunging over to Sarena, Sandra hugged her. Her eyes closed, Sandra squeezed as though Sarena might escape. A tear slid from her eyelid as she whisped, "Thanks…thanks mom."

"I have a question for you," Sarena said. Sandra fell back to her sitting position and looked at Sarena again. The calmness was still there, as was the confidence, but the seriousness had sharpened into sternness.

"Yes?" Sandra asked.

"Why are you so violent as Sailor Moon?" Sarena asked quietly. "You have killed a number of villains, and you seem to take the more violent approach to dealing with them. Remember that love and compassion are as important to what Sailor Moon represents, if not more."

"I understand that," Sandra said. "But it seems as though the villains are more tenacious, they strike anywhere, and they strike at anyone. They've attacked you twice, and it just seems that I have done a poor job of protecting you. It seems that justice has become more important than love. I'm sorry."

"I understand," Sarena replied quietly, and then it was her turn to hug.

"Just remember one thing," Sarena said. She now looked to be about eighteen. "The other Sailors are there to help you. You are part of a team. Do not be afraid to lean upon then when you feel the situation is getting out of hand."

Both girls arose to their feet and started to walk further down the path. The forest thinned then broke into a clearing just in time for the girls to see a sunset that spread its golden yellows, deep reds, and dark purples across the sky.

**== * SM *==**

The Medical Center

As the gathered Sailors watched, the Silver Crystal glowed brightly and arose from the locket sitting next to the still form of Neo-Queen Serenity. It bathed the queen and the onlookers with a bright pale glow. Then, the locket that Sandra wore around her neck popped open and her Silver Crystal pulsed with a red glow, then floated out to join the first, adding a bright ruby glow to the glow of the first crystal.

"Rini," Amy said quietly as she nudged the young girl who was transfixed by the two crystals hovering in front of her. She opened her locket, and her Silver Crystal floated out and added another pale light to the chorus of light that poured down upon Neo-Queen Serenity. The crystals that belonged to Sandra and Rini began to circle the first crystal.

"What's happening?" Venus asked.

"I'm not sure…" Amy replied. "I think….it's working."

**== * SM *==**

A pale light erupted from the sky overhead and cascaded down upon Sarena. Her body faded away in the wash of light and as the light faded away, a translucent Sailor Moon stood a few steps further down the path.

"It is finished." Sailor Moon said. "I am complete."

Sandra nodded happily, tears starting to roll down her face. 

"My daughter," Sailor Moon said. "I give you a gift." With that, she raised her hand in the air. The Moon Wand appeared in the upraised hand, its crescent-moon glittering from the remaining sunlight. 

Sailor Moon lowered the wand and pointed it at Sandra. The Silver Crystal seemed to burn white-hot with energy.

"MOON HEALING ACTIVATION!"

A burst of white light poured from the crystal and flowed over Sandra. She felt the first wave of the crystal's healing energy and was nearly thrown down by it. She grimaced as she tried to stay on her feet.

"Do not fight it," Sailor Moon's voice floated through her head. "If you resist, you will die. Please trust me."

Sandra let herself go and found that if she went with the flow of the energy, she would not fall. "Bend like a reed," she though to herself, "and you won't break like a stick." The healing energy flowed warmly over her. Sandra felt as light as a butterfly, as young as a small child…

A white light washed over her, and Sandra closed her eyes…

When she opened her eyes, the faint whisp of a red ribbon caught her attention, and she looked down. She was in her Sailor suit, but it had changed. Her skirt had a yellow, then red stripe around the fringe. A thin gold band encircled her waist. A silky red bow billowed itself from the small of her back.

"What is this?" Sandra asked as she continued to examine her suit.

"Purity has made you more powerful," came the faint reply. Sandra looked up to see that the image of Sailor Moon was fading away.

"Come on," Neo-Queen Serenity's voice said happily. "It's time to go home."

**== * SM *==**

As her crystal settled into its locket, Neo-Queen Serenity opened her eyes. She was immediately swarmed by the Sailors welcoming her back. The only one crying however was Sandra. 

"What's this?" Neo-Queen Serenity said as she wiped a tear away from her daughter's face.

"Nothing…" came the happy reply. "I was able to save you. I was in time."

**== * SM *==**

Neo-Queen Serenity entered her chambers after seeing Rini was safely tucked into her bed. Rini would be returning to the future in the morning. Humming to herself, the queen padded into the bathroom and started some bath water.

Emerging from her bath, Neo-Queen Serenity wrapped a towel around herself and plopping herself on her bed, she began to run her comb through her long blonde hair. She looked at the mirror…

…and stopped…

_…and I raise my head and stare into the eyes of a stranger…_

Neo-Queen Serenity shook her head and looked back at the mirror. Her own face stared back at her framed within the wooden frame.

With a growl, Serenity lunged from the bed. She didn't take her eyes from the mirror as she worked her way to her dresser and the potted plant that stood on a pedestal beside it. Hefting the ceramic pot in her hand, she went back to where she had been sitting. 

Gazing at the mirror again, Serenity again saw her own face. "It's only a mirror," she said to herself.

_…and I raise my head and stare into the eyes of a stranger…_

The pot flew into the mirror, shattering it into hundreds of shards of glass that rained down on the carpet.

*****FINI*****

* I realize that purists will hate this, but I decided that since I use the dub forms of the other original characters, I should do the same with Sarena, to be consistent. I also went back into SX5 and changed Sarena's introduction there to reflect this.

# Fanfic ã2000 – John Brengman and Artemis Publishing

Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, 

ã 1992 by Toei Animation Co Ltd. and based on Kodansha's

manga production of "Sailor Moon", written by Naoko Takeuchi

This fanfic is freely distributed. Release date: October 28, 2000

Release: 3rd Edition: February 11, 2001


	24. SX#24 - The Way Back

Sailor X #24The Way Back

By: John Brengman

Edited by: Thomas Schell

The pale light fluttered through the darkness from the wall outlet where the small night-light was plugged in. The blue lights that ringed the windows added their own faint glow that seemed to mingle with the chilly air.

In fact, the air was chilly even though the Luna Foundation's computerized environmental controls were supposed to keep the night-time temperatures at room temperature, at least when a room's user didn't want it higher.

The bed seemed almost to stand by itself against the wall, the end-table next to it was dwarfed in comparison. A small lamp lit up the top of the table and the ceiling above. A large set of drawers sat off in the shadows.

The bed was enshrouded in darkness even with the nearby light. The sheets were crumpled around a small form. Her hair spilled blackly over her pillow. With a quiet sigh of protest, the young woman tried to snuggle down further within the bedsheets.

Victoria slept.

Silently the top drawer of the dresser slid open. The drawer was filled with light shirts, socks, nightgowns and panties, all folded in neat stacks. In one corner of the drawer, a small box popped open and an object floated upward. As it did, a light began to glow, getting brighter as the object rose. The small lattices that spiked from it glistened as the light sparkled off of them.

Slowly, the object floated toward the bed, a white beacon in the darkness. The white light pushed back the darkness as the object approached the bed. Then it was hovering over Victoria. The light it emitted faded a bit, as though it realized that it might wake the girl.

The crystalline object started pulsing. From the air, a young girl started to laugh.

**== * SM *==**

"What in the Hell are you talking about?" Rachel growled.

"Why didn't you tell me where you were going?" Leonard asked as he glowered from his seat at the table. The dim lighting in Rachel's room only served to make her face all the more darker.

"There wasn't time!" Rachel shouted as she slammed a hand into the nearby wall. "The queen was kidnapped, and we went after her."

"And?" Leonard demanded.

"I didn't know it would take us a month!"

"But…"

"Look," Rachel said. "If you're going to be like this, I don't need you." With that, she turned and headed toward the door.

"Wait…" Leonard said pleadingly, but he only succeeded in talking at Rachel's back.

Luna trotted through the residence quarters of the Luna Foundation on her way to the royal chambers. After Neo-Queen Serenity's recent problems, one or more of the guardian cats made it their duty to check in on her daily. Artemis had paid Serenity a visit in the morning, and Luna was going to pay her a bedtime visit.

Suddenly a foot came down in front of her and she nearly got stepped on. Only a quick dodge avoided the collision. Luna looked up to see Rachel leaving her quarters and running down the hall. Looking into the room she was exiting from, Luna saw Leonard slumped dejectedly over a table. She bounded into the room before the door could close automatically.

Leaping up onto the table, Luna sat and peered at Leonard.

"What's wrong?" She said.

For a moment, Leonard didn't answer. He simply stared at the tabletop unmoving, unblinking.

Then: "I don't know…"

"Oh, you have to have some idea of what would make Rachel run out of here," Luna insisted.

Leonard continued to stare at the table. "She went away for a month and didn't tell me," he said.

"Let me get this straight," Luna said. "You are not married to Rachel."

"No."

"You're not engaged," Luna continued.

"Nope."

"Then," Luna said. "Care to explain?"

"I thought I deserved better than to be left behind," Leonard quipped. "I would have wanted to go with her."

"There wasn't time," Luna stated. "They left as soon as they could so that the cyborg ship's trail didn't fade. They didn't have time to ask for volunteers."

"I guess…"

"This isn't about that at all, is it," Luna said. "You wanted to protect her…or rather, you wanted to be there so that Tuxedo Mask could protect her."

"I guess so," Leonard replied slowly.

"Ah," Luna said. "Now we're getting somewhere."

**== * SM *==**

"Somebody catch my hat! It's brand new! Darien bought it!" The young girl ran down the pathway after the straw hat that was floating on a mysterious breeze that was sweeping through the park and down toward the river.

"Oh no, it's getting away!" The girl cried as continued the chase, but the hat seemed to have a mind of its own, and it raced away toward freedom. The girl continued to run after it, gasping, "Somebody catch…my hat! It's new…"

A young girl sat on a park bench reading a book. Her long black hair was cut just above her shoulders, and she wore a black blouse and blue pants. A white flower adorned her collar. The girl looked up from her book as she heard the commotion nearby and saw the straw hat fly overhead. She quickly got up from the bench and started after it.

The girl was not used to this much activity. Even running downhill, she could feel her lungs constricting and she gasped quietly for air. But her eyes remained steadily focused on one object, her mind on one goal…the retrieval of that hat.

The breeze finally died down, depositing the hat at the bottom of the bush-laden hill just short of the riverbank. The dark-haired girl practically fell on the hat, holding it down with one hand as she gulped in air.

"You caught it! Yeah!" The other girl shouted cheerfully as she ran up.

"Here," the first girl said softly as she handed the hat to its owner.

"Thanks a lot!"

"You're welcome. It's a lovely hat." A shudder of pain passed through the girl.

"Are you alright?" The other girl asked.

"Yes….just a little tired is all. Nothing to worry about. I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Thanks for staying with me."

"No problem! Hey…um…you want to play with me? I'm Rini, rhymes with 'teeny'"

The girl smiled. "My name's Hotaru. Hi." And the two girls shook hands.

The young girl watched from the cover of the bushes as the dark-clothed girl plopped herself down on the ground to capture the hat. Soon the pink-haired girl joined her. The dark-haired girl could barely be heard, but the pink-haired one practically shouted her relief at having her hat back. The two shook hands.

A shadow loomed over her and the girl was startled by a hand touching her shoulder. With a yelp, she turned and looked behind her.

A form stood silhouetted by the sunlight. Then it kneeled and turned into a young woman with flowing white hair.

Vanessa's stern look seethed as she pushed back her anger. "You should not be here," she growled. The girl nodded silently, then rose and went with Vanessa.

**== * SM *==**

"I am not sure I want to know what you were thinking," Mina said from her perch on the steps before the throne. Although technically Sandra was the ruler of the kingdom in the absence of her mother, in Sandra's absence, Mina took over.

"What were you thinking?" Mina demanded.

Victoria stood before the throne and with each question seemed to withdraw even further away.

"Now Mina," Luna said scolding, "Victoria probably has a good explanation for what she did."

"Yes," Vanessa interjected from the stone column she was leaning against. "We're waiting to hear it."

Victoria stood silently.

After a moment, Mina sighed. "Well," she said. "To say we are disappointed would be an understatement. We never expected this kind of behavior from you." Mina paused again, then, "You are suspended and ordered to your quarters for the time-being."

Victoria did not have to be told to leave. As she walked to the double doors of the throne room, every eye in the room seemed to burn into her back.

Victoria slowly walked the hallways that led toward the residence quarters. She did not look behind her. She could still feel the eyes on her back. She could still hear the accusations. Then, a fuzzy image began to form in her mind.

_"Here," the first girl said softly as she handed the hat to its owner._

_"Thanks a lot!"_

_"You're welcome. It's a lovely hat." A shudder of pain passed through the girl._

_"Are you alright?" The other girl asked._

_"Yes….just a little tired is all. Nothing to worry about. I'm fine."_

_"Are you sure?"_

_"Thanks for staying with me."_

"I didn't stay with you!" Victoria gasped silently. Tears streaming down her face, she ran the rest of the way to her room.

**== * SM *==**

"Rachel," Leonard called as he saw her in a corridor crossing the one he was in. She seemed to be distracted. Leonard ran into the intersection, then turned and went after Rachel, Finally he caught up to her.

"Rachel, what's going on? Didn't you hear me?"

"I heard you," Rachel replied quietly.

"But…" Leonard protested.

"I'm sorry," Rachel said. "But if you came to argue, I don't have the time right now." She continued to walk.

"Rachel…"

"No!" Rachel said sternly. "Not now. Go away!"

The air drained out of Leonard and he let Rachel walk away. "Okay," he mumbled as he turned and started off in the opposite direction. As he came to the intersection he had just left, he glanced up, then stopped.

"Computer Room…" He murmured to himself. "Timegate…"

**== * SM *==**

"Oh NO!" Mimete cried. "Another plan is ruined!" The villain quickly surveyed the construction site for a quick escape route and opted for the quick jump through an incomplete wall. "Constructor, make mince-meat out of those Sailor brats!" She shouted just before she fled.

"Gotcha boss!" The henchman growled. "Constructor will patch the holes in your walls!" With that, the monster aimed his arm at the gathered Sailors and grinned.

Then, gray-green globs of goo shot from his arm, slapping Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars, Sailor Mercury,

Sailor Venus, and Sailor Jupiter in the face. Suddenly all of the Sailors were grabbing handfuls of goo that filled mouths, noses, and ears.

"Never can have too much glue!" The monster shouted. He fired the goo again but the Sailors managed to dodge out of the way.

"Hey, no fair!" Sailor Moon yelled.

"Do it, Sailor Moon!" Mars shouted.

"Right!" Sailor Moon said. Brandishing her wand, Sailor Moon glared at the monster.

"RAINBOW MOON HEARTACHE!"

The monster did something unexpected. Instead of retreating or standing still, it charged forward and leaped over the Sailors. As they turned, the Sailors caught a glimpse of the monster as it vanished into the park across the street from the construction site.

"No way!" Sailor Moon gasped. "How did he get away?"

"That's the fastest enemy we've seen," Sailor Mercury mused.

"Let's go, you guys!" Sailor Mars said as she started after the monster. The others quickly followed.

The monster ran down the forested path blindly, just trying to get away. It ignored any of the trees and things around it and concentrated on simply getting away. When confronting the Sailors, it could sense the goodness in the air. It was a sickening feeling…nothing that it wanted to be near again.

Suddenly the monster skidded to a stop. There it was again…that sickening sensation, and it was coming from somewhere just up ahead. Then a shape stepped out into the path.

The shadowy shape stepped forward and revealed itself. It was a young woman clad in a Sailor fuku.

"I don't know who you think you are," the woman said, "but I am the Sailor Saturn, and your evil ends here!"

"Wha…" The monster gasped.

"DEATH RIBBON DEVASTATION!" Razor-sharp ribbons of deadly energy erupted from Sailor Saturn and flew like arrows towards the monster. Then the fury of Saturn's attack slammed into it.Within moments, the villain was reduced to a mass of bleeding fleshy pulp. Then the attack died away and a gentle breeze blew through the trees, a peaceful contrast to the violence that had just happened.

A small figure stepped out onto the path near the crumpled mass that had been the monster. She stepped forward and confronted Sailor Saturn.

"Who are you?" Hotaru asked.

"Hotaru…" Sailor Saturn muttered. Her eyes glazed over and a a glowing object fell from her left hand. Before it could hit the ground, it flashed brightly and flew upward to hover a short distance in front of Sailor Saturn at just above eye level. The crystal began to pulse rhythmically. 

"What is happening…" Hotaru moaned as her eyes glazed over.

A pale purple light shot from the crystal, impaling both girls. Sailor Saturn swayed as a wave of dizziness washed over her. Still, she concentrated on the crystal hovering in front of her, and the strange energy that seemed to be feeding into it. The energy seemed to contain two separate and competing parts. One part seemed calm and easy to handle, yet it needed to be guided and herded into the crystal. The other part was restless and hard to control, but Saturn had to fight to keep it away from the crystal. And it seemed imperative that the restless energy be kept from the crystal. The light flared and swirled as this tug-of-war continued.

Finally, with a flash, Hotaru fell backward, and Saturn was thrown back. The light faded out and the crystal landed in Saturn's lap. Gathering it up, she turned to get away.

"Where do you think you are going?"

Saturn looked back and saw five Sailors framed by the setting sun. One stepped forward.

"I am Sailor Moon, champion of justice. I don't know who you are, or what you've done to Hotaru, but you will pay for your evil."

The other Sailors chimed in: "That's right!"

Sailor Moon turned and looked at Sailor Mini-moon, who was standing just behind the wall of Sailors. "Hotaru needs your help."

"Gotcha," came the reply. The small girl in her pink Sailor fuku hurried to her friend's side.

"One chance…" Saturn thought. Then she turned around.

"DEATH RIBBON DEVASTATION!" Razor-sharp ribbons of deadly energy erupted from Sailor Saturn and flew like arrows towards the gathered Sailors who quickly dove to the ground. Mini-moon dove on Hotaru to protect her.

Saturn nodded in satisfaction. Her aim had been perfect. Had the girls been a few inches taller…well, she would have simply aimed higher…

Seeing that the Sailors were sprawled on the ground, Saturn turned and ran

"Hotaru? Hotaru!!"

The young girl slowly opened her eyes to find Rini staring worriedly down at her.

"Rini…"

"Hotaru, are you alright?"

"Yes," came the reply. "I..think so… Who was that?"

"I don't know," Rini said. "I'm just glad you're okay…"

**== * SM *==**

Of course, as soon as Saturn emerged from the Timegate, the other Sailors were there. She stepped out of the blue etherealness of the Timegate and faced them.

"I guess you are mad at me," she said.

"Not really," Mina said quietly as she came forward to kneel in front of Saturn. "We are just confused. You have never disobeyed an order or gotten in any sort of trouble."

"Unlike some people we could mention," Vanessa quipped.

"You found Rachel?" Saturn asked. Whatever punishment the elder Sailors decided to give her was fine, but to punish a person who simply answered a plea for help.

"Of course we caught her," Vanessa said. "She's good, but not THAT good."

"Look, we can talk more later," Mina said. "Right now, you are going to the Medical Center. Amy is waiting for you.

**== * SM *==**

"My question would be, how can a pure heart from a person who's been dead for months be active?" Mina asked. Victoria was in the next room on a medical bed staring at the ceiling. Every so often, one of the women gathered in Amy's offices would look in that direction with a look of concern.

The object they referred to lay quietly on Amy's desk, its facets glistening with energy. 

"I am not sure," Amy replied. "But not only is the crystal active, it is holding a lifeforce charge."

"Meaning?" Raye asked.

"Meaning it's holding a lifeforce, and enough of one to create a living person if we decide to make a clone from it."

"Yes," Lita said from her chair next to the desk. "Now we just need to know who to clone."

"I have your answer." The women turned to see Setsuna entering the room carrying the Garnet Rod. "Actually," she said. "I have answers to that question plus the one I was originally asked."

"Okay," Mina said. "Spill it."

"First," Setsuna replied. "Everything that Victoria has done is correct within the timeline."

"How can that be?" Raye asked quietly.

"We've seen time travel before. In fact, we've repaired the timeline and made corrections, and while it may seem unusual, and it is certainly hazardous…"

"In a sentence ten words or less," Mina remarked.

"What Victoria did in the past was supposed to occur."

"And the second answer?" Raye asked.

"The pure heart crystal contains the essence of Hotaru Tomoe. This was apparently acquired when Victoria was in the past."

After a silent moment, Amy sat back in her chair, her hands clasped, her fingers tapping her chin.

"Let's get to work. Mina, get Hotaru's braintapes from the medical databank…"

**== * SM *==**

** **

Five days later:

"Hotaru… Hotaru…"

The young girl slowly opened her eyes to find Victoria staring worriedly down at her.

"Victoria…"

"Hotaru, are you alright?"

"Yes," came the reply. "I..think so… What happened to me?"

"Don't worry," Victoria said. "I'm just glad you're okay…"

**== * SM *==**

The Brig

The door slid open and Leonard entered the dimly-lit room. One of the royal guards manned the control station. The only lights in the room were the four dim yellow circles in the ceiling and the blue light coming from the cell, and the brighter lights within.

The cell was carpeted and cushioned benches sat against the walls. In the corner stood a stark metal wash basin.

Rachel was laying on some of the benches asleep. Leonard came and stood just outside the blue-rimmed opening. He could feel the buzz of the forcefield on his face and arms.

When Rachel didn't stir, he said, "Jail beds must feel nice." Rachel awoke and sat up.

"How are you feeling?" Leonard asked.

"Well," came the reply. "This is better than being in Tokyo Central."

"Really?" Leonard said.

"Really," Rachel said as she walked toward the front of the cell. "Did Victoria get what she needed?"

"I think so," Leonard said. "I talked to her a while ago and she seemed to be doing fine."

"Good," Rachel said with a smirk. "I'd hate to think that I ended up here if she didn't get what she needed me for."

The silence seemed to close in on the two of them. The lurking guard was forgotten.

"You see now why I didn't want to get you involved?" Rachel asked. "What I do sometimes means I play outside the rules, and I didn't want to risk getting you in trouble."

"I know that," Leonard replied. "And Luna helped me to see that I was trying to protect you." Rachel smirked again as if she could silently dismiss that notion for the foolishness that it was. 

"I might not be able to protect you," Leonard said. "But, I want to be there to support you, when I can."

Rachel smiled and looked up at Leonard. "Just support?"

"That's what you want, right?"

"Uhm..hmm…" Rachel murmured with a nod. They nearly kissed, but Leonard could feel the buzz of the cell forcefield ran across his chest and face. Instead, he stepped back.

"I probably should go," he said.

"Yes," she agreed as Leonard backed toward the door.

"I'll be waiting for you when you get out of here," Leonard said as he got to the door.

"I know," came the reply.

"I love you."

"I love you too,"

*****FINI*****

* Sorry about the dub mixing here, but I never really liked the name Trista, I have always used Setsuna rather than Pluto's dub name, and since I used the dub events early in the story, I was kinda locked in to using the dub name for Chibusa later. Again, my apologies.

# Fanfic ã2000 – John Brengman and Artemis Publishing

Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, 

ã 1992 by Toei Animation Co Ltd. and based on Kodansha's

manga production of "Sailor Moon", written by Naoko Takeuchi

This fanfic is freely distributed. Release date: November 26, 2000

Release: 3rd Edition: February 11, 2001


	25. SX#25 - In Her Majesty's Service

Sailor X #25In Her Majesty's Service

By: John Brengman

Edited by: Thomas Schell

Darkness flooded through the halls of the Luna Foundation, lit only by the blue emergency lights that lined the top and the bottom of the walls. A dark-suited maintenance worker passed a door and continued forward down the corridor, seemingly oblivious to the lack of light. Another man approached the door, stopped, and placed his palm on a slot next to it. A faint hum accompanied a dull blue flash under the man's palm, and a green light then replaced it. The door opened.

The room the man entered was barely brighter than the corridor he had left. He climbed a small set of stairs near the door and looked out over the room. Various people sat in chairs in front of computers or monitors. Three large screens dominated the far wall, each one showing an area map of the Luna Foundation, the Moon Palace, and the surrounding moonscape.

The man briefly glanced toward the glass-enclosed office that was situated at the back of the room. From there, occupants could carry on a private conversation and yet could have a view of the entire computer room. Two women in Sailor suits were in the office now…

"How much longer until this test is over?" Michiru asked.

Haruka glanced at the digital clock on the desk beside her. "About two minutes," she replied, barely able to hide her own impatience. Both of them knew that all of this was in preparation for the day Neo-Queen Serenity would channel the immense power needed to surround the Earth in a protective layer of ice. In fact, this was the third such test, and it was designed to see if the computers and other systems would be affected by the power that would be used. At the end of each test came a test where the technicians re-started the computer systems from scratch, in the event something unknown were to happen and such a thing would become necessary.

Haruka leaned over to a nearby microphone. Looking out the window at the technicians and their glittering computer panels, she gave the command to start the final phase of the test.

Chaos erupted almost immediately.

Warning alarms sounded, and the minimal lighting in both the office and the computer room turned red. Haruka followed Michiru out of the room and down the stairs. They were just in time to see the door to the corridor close. They approached the workstation that had caused the commotion. Sparks of energy arced over the console and a single word blinked unsteadily on the screen.

"What did you see?" Haruka demanded of a nearby technician.

"I thought Charlie was just doing the routine," the man replied quickly. "He put a disk in the terminal, typed a command, and the whole thing blew up. By then, he was already leaving…as though he knew what was going to happen."

"Haruka, look at this," Michiru said, pointing at the ruined console. Haruka stepped over and glared at the screen.

"Sisko 197?" Haruka pondered aloud.

"I don't know either," Michiru replied. "Technician, locate Charlie for us." The technician busied himself flipping the switches and checking the displays to obey his orders.

"He's in the north stairwell, going up," came the reply.

"If I were him," Haruka said starting for the door, "I'd head for the monorail tunnel, and then try to get to the launch pads."

"Right," Michiru replied as she and Haruka started running down the dark corridor. The technicians left behind in the computer room who were not busy trying to continue their duties or repair the damage that had just been done barely heard the two women as they shouted their command phrases to transform into their Sailor alter-egos.

"You were right," Sailor Neptune said as she sprinted down the corridor. "He is trying to get to the monorail."  
"Not if I get to him first," Uranus replied grimly as she rounded a corner just in time to see her prey sliding under a heavy bulkhead. 

"Stop…" Uranus yelled, but she realized immediately that if the man did so, he would be cut in two by the reinforced steel bulkhead. The fugitive slipped under the wall as it came down with a heavy-sounding thud.

"…or I'll say 'stop' again," Sailor Uranus growled as she glared at the barrier between her and the fleeing man. "How do we open this thing?" She asked, gesturing to the blast door. Neptune pointed to the controls that were in a small recess on the wall nearby. After a few moments of tugging and pulling at the handle, Sailor Uranus stood up and looked at the controls disgustedly. "They're stuck," she said.

"What will you do now?" Neptune asked.

"This," Uranus replied as she backed up to the far side of the corridor and readied herself. "You'd better duck around the corner."

Seeing what her partner was about to do, Neptune cried, "No!" and started forward only to hear Uranus shout: "URANUS…"

"Oh!" Neptune skidded to a stop then retreated quickly to safety behind the nearest corner. Meanwhile, Uranus braced herself for the backlash of her attack. After all, her target was at point-blank range.

"….WORLD SHAKING!"

The glow of her attack blossomed, then shot forward into the opposite wall where the blast door controls were situated. The blast warped the metal of the wall, and melted the controls. 

Sailor Uranus was thrown roughly against the wall and she grimaced as the concussive force bombarded her. She dropped to her knees under the force of the blast.

Melted metal dripped from the point where the fiery attack had smashed into the wall and smoke billowed from a crater-like hole.

With a rumble, the heavy blast doors shuddered upward. Sailor Uranus struggled to her feet. "I've gotta catch that jerk!" She yelled. "Come on, Sailor Neptune!"

"Yes," Neptune replied as she got to her feet and started to follow her partner.

The Moon Palace monorail sped down the dark tunnel with Sailor Uranus at the controls. What little could be seen of the tunnel walls as they flashed in the headlights of the monorail's pilot car sped by as the monorail headed north. Sailor Neptune sat near another bank of controls, monitoring their progress. The news she had was not good.

"You'll never catch him," she informed her partner.

"Oh ye of little faith," came the quiet reply from Uranus, who barely glanced at Neptune.

"I didn't mean it that way," Neptune said.

"I know," Uranus said. 

The monorail continued northward along the "trunk" of the castle, the portion of the grounds that extended north from the main areas. As they neared their destination, a small smile started to form on Uranus' face. Neptune had seen that look before, the look of a hunter about to catch her fast prey. The status board showed that the palace itself was at red alert status, which was as it should be. Then something caught Neptune's eye. The next second, the thin outline around all of the screens turned red and the area that belonged to the nearest launch pad flashed. 

"Intruder alert," Uranus said. That would be standard procedure with the current situation. However, the situation quickly changed as more information flashed on the screen.

INTRUDER ALERT – SUPRESSION GAS ACTIVATED

ALERT – LETHAL GAS LEVELS IN LAUNCH PAD ONE

"What the…" Uranus exclaimed.

"It says here that Charles Matthias was assigned to the Engineering section, after doing some work at the observatory." Neptune said calmly. "That would mean that he would have access to the computers, and some of our codes."

"But why kill anyone if all he wants to do is steal a shuttle?" Uranus asked. Neptune was already asking the terminal for information.

"Five people, looks like technicians," Neptune said, then: "wait…Uranus, Lita's in there."

"Damn," Uranus said as she jammed the engine control forward in an attempt to get more speed out of the control car. She knew it was futile. The car was already breaking safety limits, and if lethal amounts of suppression gas were already in the landing pad, there was nothing they could do about it.

Neptune sat at her controls trying to contact Lita. There was no response.

As the monorail turned to the west toward the castle, Uranus could see that the huge dome over the landing pad was opening.

"Damn sonic screwdrivers!" Lita growled as the infernal tool squirted free of her hands and plummeted into the innards of the shuttle. There were two things Lita liked about being able to hang around the palace. The first was the ample opportunity to cook for a lot of people using the best ingredients she could find. The other thing she liked was the opportunity to play grease-monkey and improve her knowledge of mechanics.

Right now however, the job seemed to be losing some of its appeal as Lita glared at the gleaming metal tool that seemed to be mocking her from its resting place deep under the floorboard of the shuttle. With a grunt, Lita lurched forward and stuck her head further into the darkness. She wiggled for enough room to get her arm into the hole, and reached down for the tool. 

"Gotcha!" She yelled proudly as she grabbed the troublesome screwdriver. Then she heard the alarms going off and came out of the hole in the floor quickly…too quickly. She nearly dropped the screwdriver again after whacking herself on the back of her head. Rubbing the back of her head, Lita scrambled into the pilot's chair and took a look at the screen.

INTRUDER ALERT:SECTION B – LEVEL ONE, SUBSECTION B – 42

LAUNCH PAD ONE

"That's here!" Lita exclaimed, more for her own benefit. Then she noticed the gas pouring into the room and the technicians running for the exits, except for one, who seemed intent on getting to a nearby shuttle.

"Good idea," Lita thought. "Computer," she said. "Close the shuttle hatch."

"Affirmative," the computer replied. Then: "Warning! Suppressant gas reaching lethal levels!"

"Not good," Lita said. Looking around, she could see that the technicians were trying to get out of the launch pad area, but while the intruder gas was being let in, the doors would not be allowed to open. 

At about then, it dawned on Lita. She was in a cargo shuttle, with huge tanks mounted on it for carrying fuel or fire suppressant.

"Computer," she said as she turned to the controls and started flipping switches and pressing buttons, prepping the ship to launch. "Can the tanks on this thing be used to store intruder suppression gas?"

"Affirmative," the computer replied. "Putting the output valve in reverse will allow the shuttle to store a gaseous material."

"Can this valve be set by computer?" Lita asked.

"Aff…"

"Good! Do it!"

The com panel bleeped and someone's voice came over the speaker, calling for her, but Lita didn't have time to waste. If she didn't act now, people would die.

"Launch!" Lita yelled and pushed the thrust control forward.

With a roar of sound and light, the shuttle's thrusters came online and lifted the shuttle into the air.

Looking up at the screen just above the window, Lita said, "Computer, on screen one, give me shuttle altitude and the layout and objects in this landing bay." The computer dutifully complied, and Lita raised the shuttle just high enough to clear the hull armor of the other shuttles in the room. She noticed that the one shuttle that the technician had fled to was moving.

WARNING! LAUNCH IN PROGRESS!

Lita barely had time to notice the huge domed ceiling of the launch bay opening. Her thoughts were in saving the people below. She noticed that the button controlling the holding tanks on the ship was blinking, signaling its readiness. Lita pressed the button and immediately heard a dull roar as the flow valves began sucking in the gas.

Outside, the roiling gas flowed from the ventilation ducts where the release tanks were hidden. Like a fog, the gas drifted down to the floor, where it gathered. With the normal concentration, the gas would be barely noticeable. Now however, it looked like the exhaust fumes of a car during the winter, and it had the same fatal effect.

Lita's shuttle started a slow gradual circle around the launch bay, the holding tanks filling up with the gas. Meanwhile, she watched as the other shuttle lifted higher and higher out of the still-expanding gap in the launch bay dome.

Sailor Uranus didn't wait for the containment doors to completely open before she ducked down and entered the landing pad. To her right, two squat-looking shuttles sat on their designated squares, which were painted a bright yellow on the concrete floor. The roaring sounds of two shuttles was what caught her attention. One shuttle was in the process of completing a slow circle in the air above the shuttles and equipment. A gray gas was being sucked into the three large cylindrical cargo containers that had been loaded on it.

The second shuttle could be seen making aslow graceful rise into the air. 

Uranus turned to Neptune. "Are they okay?" She asked.

"Yes," Neptune said as she knelt to examine one of the downed technicians. "None of them inhaled enough of the gas, but I can't find Lita."

"She just saved these people," Uranus replied. "Are you ready to go after the jerk who did this?"

"Yes," Neptune replied as she stood. Uranus was already running toward the nearest shuttle. Neptune followed, and as Uranus seemed to fall into the pilot's chair, Neptune simply sat down and fastened the seat restraints of the co-pilot's chair.

Uranus spared a brief glance at Lita's shuttle, which was about to make its landing, then she quickly flipped the switches to start the engine of her shuttle. With one last flipped switch, she opened the com system.

"Sailor Uranus to Control, I'm in Shuttle 5 in pursuit of an unauthorized launch from Pad One." She didn't bother to add that it would be a cold day in Hell when the fleeing technician out-flew her.

"Confirmed," came the response from the palace's flight control room, which was actually situated in the midst of the landing pads. "Good hunting." Uranus had started the shuttle forward before the two-word sentence was completed. Soon the small ship was streaking through the air in search of the fleeing man.

The shuttle quickly left the palace behind and skimmed over the stark mountains and valleys of the lunar surface.

"There he is," Neptune said, pointing to an overhead screen between her and her partner. Uranus glanced up. "Got it," she said just before banking into a hard left turn and slamming the throttle forward. With the increased speed, the escaping shuttle was soon in sight. Neptune opened the com.

"Shuttle One, this is Sailor Neptune. You are not authorized to pilot that shuttle. Return to the palace immediately." The pilot of the shuttle in front of them did not answer. Instead, he put the ship into a hard left and tried to put a mountain between him and his pursuers.

"I repeat," Neptune said. "You are not authorized to pilot that shuttle. Return to the palace, immediately."

As Neptune switched off the com, Uranus glanced at her. "I didn't think he would answer us," she said. The mountain that hid the fleeing shuttle fell away. Shuttle 4 had started a steep climb away from the lunar surface, and Uranus tapped a few controls, laying in a course to follow. She then jammed the throttle full forward, her eyes gleamed as she felt the increased speed throb through the ship.

Quickly the pitted and barren surface of the moon dropped away as the two ships vaulted into space.

**== * SM *==**

A picture of a young man with slim build and sandy brown hair dominated the wall screen of the darkened conference room. The red emergency lights flashed and added their light to the soft white light given off by the translucent tabletop. Around the table sat three women. One of them tapped a button, and the huge picture shrunk into a portion of the screen and was replaced with the words "CHARLES KIMBALL", and his biography and work history. The women examined the information in silence. Finally, the woman at the head of the table sat back in her chair.

"What is our situation," Sandra asked quietly. She then pointed to the wall screen. "And what do we know about this man?"

Melissa leaned forward. "One of the backup computers is shot," she said.

"Luna?" Mariah murmured. 

"Yes," came the reply. "As you can see," Melissa continued with a glance to the dimly-lit ceiling, "the Foundation is on backup power, and we will be until what is left of our systems is patched in with Artemis' systems."

"How did Mr. Kimball get such access to our systems?" Sandra asked.

"According to our records," Melissa replied, "Kimball joined the Foundation roughly three years ago after he lost a job with Dessault Industries, an aerospace firm in France. He signed up here, and was placed in Engineering, and then later transferred to the Operations department, where he's been ever since."

"He's performed his duties well?" Sandra asked.

"Yes," Melissa said. "There are no demerits or anything other than perfect service records in his file."

"Sounds a bit too clean," Mariah quipped. Suddenly, all eyes were on her.

"Don't get me wrong," she said quickly, "if he was truly not guilty of anything, I could see this, but the man tried to kill a bunch of people in Launch Pad One, and right now is heading toward Earth in a stolen shuttle."

"The only weird thing I could find on him was when I asked a couple questions to some of the other people that worked with him," Melissa stated. "One of the engineering technicians said that he often saw Kimball on Cargo Shuttle 9 just before his scheduled holiday leaves."

"So?" Mariah said. "So he takes the a ride on the cargo shuttle. Lots of people do that."

"Yes," came the response. "But, Cargo Shuttle 9 runs between here and Europe."

"But, according to our records," Sandra said, "Kimball lives in Spokane, Washington, in the United States."

"And during my inquiries, according to the people I talked to, Kimball comes across as a loner. Certainly not one to do much traveling," Melissa said.

"Well," Sandra said as she stood. "Keep looking. There's something here that we are missing. In the meantime, we'll work on getting things back up and running."

With that, the small meeting broke up.

**== * SM *==**

The lead shuttle shuddered under the laser blasts from its pursuer and fishtailed in an attempt to shake off the other shuttle.

It didn't work. Sailor Uranus kept her quarry right ahead of her and nodded to Sailor Neptune, who toggled the trigger again, sending two more laser bolts at the fleeing ship.

"Missed," Uranus remarked.

"Yes," Neptune replied. "But how much more of this can he take?"

Both ships spiraled down into the atmosphere of Earth. Uranus started to see wisps of super-heated air trailing off the nose of the shuttle. Then the wisps grew into torrents and then started to glow with a fiery fierceness. She was not too worried. She had helped to field test the design for the improved shuttles in the upper atmosphere of Jupiter, which was far more dangerous than what she faced now.

Nodding to Neptune again, Uranus heard the high-pitched whine of the lasers. Uranus didn't have to see the other ship to see the results. The readings on the sensor display above her changed immediately. "You hit him," she said. "His engine output is down forty percent."

"That won't matter much," Neptune replied. "He can easily pick up speed through the atmosphere."

The ships quickly dropped from the sky, both of them making turns that pulled them into level flying just over the ocean's surface. Together they raced over the eastern Atlantic, the northern coast of Spain falling behind them.

"He's really a good pilot," Uranus commented as another duo of laser bolts missed the fleeing shuttle.

"He's also opened up a communications link to someone in western Europe," Neptune said. "We can't pinpoint the exact destination."

"Send our readings to the palace," Uranus said. "They'll be able to make more sense of them."

The two ships hurtled over the sea. The Bay of Biscay fell behind them as they leapt over the peninsula of Brittany and into the English Channel.

"Uranus," Neptune said with concern, "at this rate, we'll be over London before we can stop him."

"What a mess," Uranus said. "Inform the English civil air authorities and tell them to clear us a path along our trajectory."

"They won't like that," Neptune said.

"Better this than one of us hitting a passenger jet."

Neptune nodded, then turned and set about the task of alerting the proper authorities. By the time she was done, the port cities of Southampton and Portsmouth were receding into the distance behind them.

"Yep," Uranus said. "He's heading straight for London. And he's slowing down."

**== * SM *==**

"We've analyzed the transmission that Mr. Kimball sent," Luna told the assembled Sailors who were gathered around the table in the briefing room. "It was sent to somewhere in the vicinity of Altdorf, Switzerland."

"We also know what was sent in that signal," Artemis said, "and it's not good."

"Enough with the predictions of doom you two," Sandra quipped. "Out with it."

"The files stolen from our computers were some of the ones belonging to Sailor Pluto," came Luna's explanation. Some heads turned to Setsuna, who was leaning against the wall watching the preceedings.

"How damaging is this?" Sandra asked.

Vanessa looked over at her mentor before replying. "It depends," she said. "First, among the files stolen was the time charts for the early part of this century. This would give someone a pretty good idea of when events are supposed to occur."

"Meaning that someone can use what they've taken to their advantage in the future," Mina said.

"Yes," Raye said as she absent-mindedly tapped the table with her finger, "but that's too simple. We're missing something."  
"Huh?" Mina said, confused.

"Raye's right," Rachel said. "There are a lot easier ways to scam people. Why go through all of the trouble of ripping us off?"

"Not to mention stealing a shuttle and evading capture," Sandra said.

No one spoke for a moment, and the thing that was missing seemed to hang over the room.

"Wait a second," Luna said. "Computer, access the personnel files on Charles Kimball, and the transmission sent from Shuttle One."

"Computer ready," the computer replied.

"Run a factual comparison on the files and give me the results."

The computer beeped and whirred as it quietly followed its orders and digested the two files. Finally, it stopped.

CHARLES KIMBALL EMPLOYED AT DESSAULT INDUSTRIES

TRANSMISSION DESTINATION: DESSAULT INDUSTRIES'

ROCKET MODIFICATION DIVISION – ALTDORF, SWITZERLAND

"So he's giving his old bosses some inside information," Cass said from her chair. "I don't get it."

"Computer, what are the current projects of Dessault Industries?" Luna asked. "Visual display please." The computer put its information on one of the wall screens that surrounded the room.

PROJECT: DEVELOPMENT OF ADVANCED FUEL COMPONENTS – AEROFLOT

PROJECT: RESEARCH INTO F – 29 STRATO-EAGLE – USAF

PROJECT: DEVELOPMENT OF NEW ENGINE – BRITISH AIRWAYS

PROJECT: CO-DEVELOPMENT: SPDS

Vanessa's eyes widened a bit at the sight of the list. She looked at Setsuna and noticed that she too was looking intently at the list. "Oh no," she said but was met with a warning glance from Setsuna.

Turning to face Sandra, Setsuna said, "We need to talk privately."  
With a nod, Sandra arose from her seat and headed to the small lounge that was attached to the briefing room. Setsuna and Vanessa followed, leaving the other Sailor soldiers behind with their questions.

"Interesting," Luna said.

"Confusing is more like it," Lita remarked.

The computer started beeping, and Luna batted at the toggle switch, then read the message that appeared on the terminal.

"Ah," she said. "Uranus and Neptune have recovered the shuttle that Mr. Kimball stole." Then she paused. "They report that Kimball killed himself before they could capture him."

**== * SM *==**

_"All those things we can not know, we dream, we hypothesize._

_Maybe these are secrets shared by those watching from the skies._

_If we are only members of the human race…"_

-Geddy Lee, "The Angels Share"

Sandra seated herself behind the desk in the lounge before she looked up at Vanessa and Setsuna. "Okay," she said. "This is your meeting. What are we here for?"

After a pause to collect her thoughts, Setsuna sighed, then stepped forward.

"We believe there is the possibility that someone at Dessault is plotting to change the timestream," she said.

"And there's a reason this could not be discussed in front of the others?" Sandra asked quietly.

"We believe the event in question is the one that will result in the freezing of the Earth by the Moon Kingdom," Vanessa said.

"And why wasn't this brought to my attention," Sandra asked, "or the queen's?"

"The queen has not been in any condition to act on this information," Setsuna replied. "Since you are ruling the Kingdom while she is unable to do so, you are authorized to know this information and you are the one best able to figure out what to do with it."

"The other Sailors have no need to know the details behind this," Vanessa remarked.

"Plus," Setsuna continued, "In reality, we were hoping that this once we would be wrong."

"From your reactions in the briefing room, I am assuming that something related to Dessault has you worried," Sandra said.

"Yes," Setsuna replied.

"But you can't tell me what that is?"

"Not directly, no."

"Come on, Setsuna," Sandra said, her eyes angry. "You've already stepped into this. It's too late to wipe your shoes."

Setsuna seemed unmoved. "I told you that there was a possible temporal deviation," she said. "I can not be more specific."

"No," Sandra replied. "It's not that you can't. You won't be more specific. Your way of dealing with these things is to wait until after they've happened." She paused, then:

"Will you help us with this?"

"I've done all I can do," was the response. "To do more would risk a temporal deviation."

Sandra looked at Vanessa. "How about you?" She asked.

"Right now I can't help you." Vanessa said simply. "You want answers that are too general. You want to know what the temporal deviation is and how to solve it. I can not give you those answers any more than Setsuna can. However, if you come up with specific questions, I can help you answer them."

Sandra gazed downward at the desk, knowing that her next words were going to be tough.

"Ok," Sandra said as she stood. She went around the desk and stood before the two women. "Setsuna, it is your duty to protect the timeline, and I believe that if you remain on duty, you would attempt to stop us from doing what we may have to do. With that in mind, I, as Princess of the Moon Kingdom and current reigning monarch, do strip you of your duties for the period of one week, or until I reinstate them, whichever is shorter."

Setsuna bowed stiffly. "I understand."

"You still have access to the Doors of Time," Sandra said, "and you could still stop us, but I am asking you not to out of respect for the Kingdom."

"I won't interfere," Setsuna replied. "And I will be ready in case something goes wrong."

Sandra nodded, and with that, Setsuna turned and left the room. Vanessa remained standing before Sandra until the other woman looked at her. "Please join the others," Sandra said. "I'll be out shortly once I have narrowed my questions down a bit."

With a bow that was a good imitation of the one Setsuna had just given, Vanessa turned and left the room.

**== * SM *==**

The Timegate

"The CEO of Dessault Industries is a man named Mikel Riley," Sandra said as she glanced around the room at the assembled Sailors. "Our files indicate that he is a multi-billionaire several times over and is paranoid about someone else having control over his money."

"How does that involve us?" The elder Sailor Venus asked.

"If something that we're about to do threatens his money," Sandra replied, "Riley will attack first to protect what he has."

"What would we do that would take Riley's money?" The elder Mars asked.

"That's irrelevant right now," came the reply. "We are concerned more with the safety and security of all of humanity, not the personal fortunes of one man."

"So what's our plan?" The elder Jupiter asked.

"We split into two teams," Sandra said. "Rachel, Vanessa, and Bethany will use the Timegate to go into the future and answer the question I posed to Vanessa."

"Which was?" Rachel asked.

"The only way Dessault can do anything to us is to launch the missiles from the Subsurface Planetary Defense System." Sandra said. "I want to know whether or not those missiles have been used. Vanessa says that we can get that information in the 30th Century."

"The second group, the elder Sailors Venus, Mars, and Jupiter will travel by shuttle to Altdorf," Sandra continued. "They will try to recover the stolen data, and whatever other evidence they can get on what Mr. Riley plans."

Noting that the orders had been given, Vanessa walked up the ramp to the circular platter-like device located near the Timegate. Below her, the ether that formed the surface of the Timegate churned and glowed with a green hue. Vanessa didn't move the arm that hung over the device, its needle-like end pointing downward onto the surface of the platter. Instead, she reached up to the top of the arm and slid a spherical shaped object all the way forward on the arm.

Standing back, Vanessa shouted: "PLUTO POWER!" With a flashing cascade of light that slowly spiraled outward, Vanessa transformed into Sailor Pluto, guardian of the flows of Time. Those who had not transformed into their Sailor alter-egos soon were in similarly flashy displays. Then Sailor Pluto raised her Time Staff and shouted:

"TIMEGATE ACTIVATION!"

With a flash of green light, an arc of energy shot out and hit the platter-like device. The light only lasted a few seconds, then the Timegate assumed its former calm state.

Sailor Pluto motioned the others forward. She would be the last one to descend through the portal. Finally though, Sandra watched as Pluto's head disappeared into the ether of the portal and into the 30th Century.

**== * SM *==**

30Th Century – Crystal Tokyo

A misty chill floated in the silent air as the Sailors stepped out of a wall and into a shadowy room deep under the Crystal Palace – the future home of the Moon Kingdom.

Glancing around quickly, Sailor Pluto pointed toward a path not too far away. The Sailors could see a bright blue light that illuminated the path.

It looked as though they had stepped into an area used for storage. Blue metal doors lined the walls. Each door had a number and a numbered keypad

Soon the Sailors emerged onto the well-lit path and found themselves gazing at the source of the illumination. A shining column sparked radiantly.

"Wow," Sailor Uranus murmured. "What is that?"

"The Crystal Palace's central computer core," Pluto replied quietly as the trio of Sailors started toward it. "It's memory banks contain information going all the way back to the Silver Millennium."

"Wasn't that destroyed by Queen Beryl during the first Dark Kingdom attack against Queen Serenity?" Uranus asked.

"The original castle was," Sailor Pluto replied. "But the computer core was located deep underground, as this one is. When the attack came, the core was sealed off and it survived the destruction."

As the Sailors approached, they saw that the core was surrounded by a glass partition. The only opening stood before them. Computer terminals ringed the partition, with seats patiently waiting users to use the quiet control panels. Rachel sat down in front of the nearest terminal, its black glossy surface beneath her hands. One lone light blinked on the control panel and with a touch, the entire panel flashed to life. A message blinked in one portion of the panel: "Enter user name:"

Rachel quickly typed in her user name. The response was unexpected.

USER "R_Kyle" NOT REGISTERED. INACTIVE FILE INDICATE NEAREST MATCH IS USER "Amy Mizuno". DO YOU WISH TO ACTIVATE THIS USER?

Rachel cancelled the request, and the terminal patiently waited for another user to log on. Sailor Pluto, who was examining the computer core from inside the partition was summoned to help.

"Thankfully, I know the user name and password of one person who might be active," Pluto said. She went to the terminal next to Rachel, tapped the activation control and was greeted by the same login screen. She typed in: "S_Meioh" and was greeted with, "Greetings Setsuna. Please enter your password." After Pluto typed in the password, she let Mercury take her place. 

"Wait," Mercury said to Pluto. "It's your mentor's name we're using. Why don't you do this?"

"Because officially," Pluto said, "I'm not here. I need to go check the portal and make sure it is stable. I've never kept one open this long." Pluto put her hand on Mercury's shoulder and glanced down at the control panel. "Just don't do anything stupid." Then she turned and walked back into the shadows.

Mercury got to work. Fingers flew over the controls as she called up the computer's directories, and soon she found the information she was looking for.

"This is strange," Mercury muttered.

"What is it?" Bethany said as she joined her fellow Sailor.

"Well," Mercury said. "According to the historical archive, the planetary defenses were never used in any of the conflicts that the Moon Kingdom had with anyone else. Yet…" Mercury's fingers tapped a few controls and another view showed in the center of the control panel. The view was a map of the Pacific Ocean. From an area west of Los Angeles, a dark blue line snaked its way out into the ocean, then curved south through the archipelago of Indonesia and from there into the Indian Ocean. At relatively even points along this line, small blue circles appeared.

"In the late 20th and early 21st centuries," Rachel said, "the UN engaged in a program to buy high-yield nuclear warheads from the United States and Russia."

"But there were already a bunch of disarmament treaties signed," Bethany replied.

"Yes," Rachel said. "And according to this, most of the later ones were masterminded by the UN, with the Luna Foundation secretly behind them. By 2013, the construction of the underwater chain of nuclear silos was started. By 2015, the Pacific chain was completed, and the Indian Ocean chain was completed two years later. By 2021, two more chains were expected to be completed and the entire thing would end up virtually circling the planet."

"What happened to it?"

"Well, something strange," Rachel said. With a tap of the controls, the view of a section of the chain in the Pacific was enlarged. The chain could be seen making its way southwest until it reached the middle of the ocean. It then turned south for about 200 miles, then resumed its southwest course. Unlike the other circles indicated along the chain, three of the four circles in the area being viewed on the control panel were clear. A pointer labeled the fourth circle as the eastern control module for the chain.

"What happened?" Uranus asked again.

"Apparently the defense system was used," Mercury said. "We just don't know when. I'll attempt to find out."

"Okay," Uranus replied. "I'll tell Pluto what you found out."

"You do that," Mercury said, her mind already on to her next task. Something seemed odd about the way the computer reacted when she had tried to log in. She dropped back to the root directory and quickly scanned the contents. Finding a promising file, Mercury tapped it, and followed a trail that led her deeper and deeper into the memory banks. Finally, in a directory named "Personnel", she found a file named "Dispositions" and selected it. The file appeared in the center of the control panel.

Sailor Moon( Serena Tsukino )INACTIVE

Sailor Moon( Sandra Tsukino )INACTIVE

Sailor Mercury( Amy Mizuno )ACTIVE

Sailor Mercury( Rachel Kyle )KILLED IN ACTION

Sailor Venus ( Mina Aino )ACTIVE

Sailor Venus ( Brandy MacIntyre )INACTIVE

Sailor Mars( Raye Hino )ACTIVE

Sailor Mars( Cassandra Von Drysen )KILLED IN ACTION

Sailor Jupiter( Lita Kino )ACTIVE

Sailor Jupiter( Mariah Shipman )INACTIVE

Sailor Saturn( Hotaru Tomoe )INACTIVE

Sailor Saturn( Victoria Chapland )INACTIVE

Sailor Uranus ( Haruka Tenoh )INACTIVE

Sailor Uranus ( Bethany Dell )INACTIVE

Sailor Neptune( Michiru Kaioh )INACTIVE

Sailor Neptune( Melissa Stanley )KILLED IN ACTION

Sailor Pluto( Setsuna Meioh )ACTIVE

Sailor Pluto( Vanessa Ramsey )INACTIVE

Mercury sat back and stared at the panel. Especially at the words KILLED IN ACTION across from her name. What villain would they face that would do this? Just as she was about to dig deeper for answers, a hand touched her shoulder.

"I told you not to do anything stupid," Pluto growled as she hit the control to shut down the display. "It's bad enough that we have to use sensitive information to protect the Moon Kingdom, but you certainly should not know what you just saw."

"What are you going to do about it?" Mercury said as she stood up.

"I could use the Timegate and prevent you from accessing that file in the first place," Pluto replied. She saw Mercury stiffen at the thought that something could actually be done about her "temporal crime".

"However," Pluto continued. "It may be more interesting to watch you live with it, never knowing if anything you do, or any time travel we do changes your fate."

"I don't believe in fate," Mercury bluntly stated.

"Neither do I," Pluto replied. "But then again, the ancient people didn't believe the world was round."

With that, Pluto ushered Mercury toward the back of the room and the portal that awaited to take them back to their own time.

**== * SM *==**

Near Altdorf, Switzerland3:40 PM

The Sailors managed to quickly infiltrate the large factory belonging to Dessault Industries. It was a simple matter once Sailor Jupiter said that she could teleport the three of them past the fence that bordered the property. They slipped onto the property at a secluded locale and then transformed out of their heroic identities. They would definitely look out of place in their short-skirted Sailor uniforms, but perhaps no one would give three business women much thought. They picked what looked to be a promising doorand entered an old brick building that looked like it contained offices

The few workers who remained in the building at this time in the afternoon smiled politely at the ladies as they passed, until Mina spotted one particular office. The wall sign indicated that these were the offices ofMikel Riley.

"Well," Raye muttered. "Let's see if the big money-maker is home." She quietly turned the handle and opened the door.

The redheaded secretary looked up as the three women entered the office. Unlike the blue-collar atmosphere that was evident just outside the door, the offices of the CEO presented an aristocratic air. Classical music wafted softly in the air. Valuable paintings adorned the walls. Plush couches were arranged neatly around an expensive coffee table and the desk the secretary sat behind was made of mahogany.

The secretary herself was dressed in a secretarial business suit with a white blouse that was buttoned all the way to her neck, and light gray skirt.

Looking up from her work, the secretary noticed her visitors. "Mr. Riley is not in right now," she said. "May I ask who you are?"

"Oh, I'm Mina," Mina said cheerfully. "We're from the accounting department and we're just here to check and see that the financial ledgers are in order for the American accounts. 

"After all," Raye added. "It's tax season over there."

"The forms were not filed electronically?" The secretary asked.

"Mr. Riley doesn't file his taxes electronically," Raye said quietly. "He doesn't trust the tax preparation people, and he's afraid that someone will hack his files."

"Well, he's not here." the secretary said as she returned to her work. The visitors were clearly dismissed.

Mariah was not cowed that easily. "Are you saying that we came here all the way from the central office for nothing?"

"Mr. Riley left just over an hour ago for a meeting in Shanghai," the secretary replied.

"Can you find the tax files?" Mina asked.

"I don't think I should be going into Mr. Riley's office when he's not here."

"Okay," Raye said. "We'll just report back to the main office and tell them why Mr. Riley will be late with the tax preparation forms. I'm sure Mr. Riley will be quite angry when he finds out that he will be paying late fees."

"What was your name again?" Mina chimed in. "We want to make sure you get full credit for this."

The secretary eyed Mina coldly for a moment, then pulling open the desk drawer, she removed a key. She grumbled as she stood and walked over to the wooden door that led into the next office.

"I guess I can let you in," she muttered. "I wouldn't want to have Mr. Riley mad. He can get really terrible when he gets mad." The waiting women heard the lock open with a resounding _click_, and the secretary opened the door.

The secretary ushered the other women into the darkened office. It was clear that she did not care to have strangers in the room because she didn't bother to turn on the lights before pointing to a pair of file cabinets that stood against the far wall. Dim light filtered through the shuttered windows and cast a dim yellow pall over the room.

"The files you are looking for are in the file cabinets," the secretary said.

"What about the computer?" Mariah asked.

"Mr. Riley doesn't keep his files on the computer," the secretary said. "He afraid someone…"

"…will hack his files," Mina finished. "Gotcha. We'll need some privacy for a few moments."

"Why?" The secretary was suddenly defensive.

"According to regulations, these files are private," Raye replied. "We can't go over them with a third party looking over our shoulder."

"But…"

"Look, lady," Mariah said as she hustled the secretary out the door. "Let us do our jobs. We'll be out of your hair in no time." Mariah closed the door firmly behind her and locked it. Pulling out her pistol, she set it on its lowest setting and fired at the door. A puff of smoke and a satisfying sizzle told Mariah that the door mechanisms were fused into a solid piece of metal.

"How long will that hold them?" Mina whispered.

"Not long enough," Raye replied quietly as Mina activated the computer. "Hurry!"

"I am," Mina insisted as she inserted a floppy disk into the computer's disk drive.

While the women worked, a large owl glared unmoving at them. A quiet whir sounded as one eye focused.

**== * SM *==**

The Central Pacific

A large white boat trundled through the water toward its destination. Although it was a luxury craft, no one was taking advantage of the sun and warmth upon the deck. Indeed, the only person on the upper decks of the boat at all was a lone man who stood gazing toward the horizon with one hand on the ship's wheel. With his graying hair swept back, a light sports shirt on, and his hand at the controls of a yacht, Mikel Riley looked every bit the multi-millionaire that he was.

Then Riley heard a beeping noise, and the top on the computer terminal next to the ship's wheel slowly rose, its screen already flashing an alert. After entering his passcode, Riley saw his secretary's face appear on the monitor.

"Mr. Riley," she said. "There's something strange going on here…."

**== * SM *==**

"Found it!" Mina squeaked. The other women looked over her shoulder at the computer monitor.

"There's the information stolen from the Luna Foundation," Raye said. "But what's all the rest of this stuff?"

"Information on the planetary self-defense network…" Mariah murmured. "With firing trajectories toward the moon."

"I'm getting all of this," Mina said as she dragged the file objects from their folder and onto the floppy disk.

Just as the disk drive started whirring to itself, the three women heard someone trying to open the door.

"You in there!" The secretary said loudly. "Come out here now!" The curtains near the door continued to shiver as the secretary tried to force her way in.

"Hurry," Mariah said urgently.

"I'm trying," Mina said as she held her hand near the disk drive. "One thing technology hasn't improved much on is the speed of a computer saving stuff to disk."

Now some male voices were added to the shouting outside the door, and the shaking of the curtains got worse.

Just before the door reverberated with the force of the first kick against it, Mina snatched the disk form the drive.

"Let's go," she said, nodding toward the windows on the far side of the room. Raye was already there, ripping the window shades down and throwing open the windows.

The door crashed open and three guards entered the room. Raye was already up on the window sill. "There's an awning we can use to catch us, and there's a truck we can use," she said just before she jumped.

Mina was climbing into the window as the guards raised their guns. 

"Halt!" The lead guard ordered. Mina took that opportunity to leap out the window.

Mariah realized that she was outnumbered three to one, and decided that the odds needed to be evened out a bit.

"JUPITER STAR POWER!" The flaring light of the transformation was intense and the guards had to shield their eyes. By the time they could see, Jupiter was ready.

"JUPITER GRAVITON POWER!" A force wave blasted from Jupiter, throwing the soldiers into the next room along with most of the wall. Strone, glass, and wood exploded into what had been the secretary's office and the guards landed haphazardly amid the rubble.

Sailor Jupiter took the opportunity that the confusion gave her to get to the window to make her escape.

One of the guards raised his gun at the back of Sailor Jupiter and his hand squeezed the trigger. The gun coughed once, and a bullet slammed into Jupiter's shoulder. The force of the blow threw her out the window.

There was barely enough time to scream, but Sailor Mars turned and ran to catch her. Sailor Jupiter fell on top of Sailor Mars and the two of them collapsed in a heap. 

Two guards appeared in the window and shot down at the Sailors. Their first shots missed, and their second shots bracketed the Sailors as they ran toward the truck. As the Sailors clambered into the truck, bullets pinged around them.

"Sandra told us not to use our powers except in an emergency," Mars shouted. "I'd say this counts!" With that, Mars pulled her hands together and aimed at the guards.

A bullet slammed into the truck two inches from Sailor Mars' head. She gasped, but then regained her composure and concentrated.

"MARS FIRE IGNITE!" A swirling bolt of fire leaped from Mars' fingers and slammed into the window as the guards ran to get out of the way. The office exploded. Plaster glass and wood rained down, but by then, the truck had already sped off.

The truck raced from the side of the building and onto the road leading to the main gate, which was flanked by two guard towers. As the truck approached, soldiers spread out across the road at the guard towers. 

"Get down!" Venus shouted as the soldiers raised their weapons. Sailor Jupiter ducked just in time to be missed by a spray of bullets that splattered against the windshield, and Venus threw herself against the door to avoid a bullet that shot through the air where her head had been. The truck swerved to the left, then Venus hit the gas.

Soldiers scattered as the truck roared toward them. The wire-meshed gate collapsed on the truck as it struck , then fell away with a loud clatter. The truck raced the short distance to the road, then made a tire-screeching right turn onto the highway.

On the helipad south of the facility sat a trio of attack helicopters. Soon after the commandeered truck smashed its way out of the main gate of the complex, these helicopters quickly rose off the ground and into the sky in search of the fleeing truck.

**== * SM *==**

Luna and Artemis found Sandra on one of the balconies of the castle. This one was on the south side, overlooking the lake. Sandra was lost in thought and didn't notice the approach of the two guardian cats. 

The waters of the lake rippled peacefully as if it were carrying on a conversation. Surrounding the lake was the barren white and gray of the lunar surface and the black sky. Only the invisible shield over the castle and the adjoining buildings kept a breathable atmosphere in place. It also kept the waters of the lake from being instantly vaporized. The lake was not necessary, of course, and it certainly did not capture the grandeur that it had during the Silver Millennium. But there it was, a reminder of the past, and a reminder of what the Moon Kingdom was trying to accomplish.

"Sandra," Luna said urgently, bringing the princess back to matters at hand.

"Yes," she said as she looked over to the cats.

"Sailor Venus has reported in," Luna said. "It appears that Riley does indeed plan to use the planetary defenses against the Moon Kingdom. They are heading back now."

"Sailor Pluto has just returned from the 30th Century," Artemis reported. "She said that three of the underwater silos of the defense system were empty."

"Riley?" Sandra asked.

"It seems so," Luna replied. "We are in danger."

"Ok then," Sandra replied. "Send Sailors Uranus and Neptune to Earth to intercept Riley."

Sandra watched the two cats run of to carry out her commands, then she turned back and looked out over the lake again. "We're missing something," she thought. "Something important."

It soon dawned on her. If Riley had launched the missiles in an attempt to destroy the Moon Kingdom, why was the palace still standing in the 30th Century?

Sandra tapped her writs communicator. "Air Control," she said. "Put all lunar squadrons on full alert and have patrols in the air over the central and south Pacific regions."

"Yes ma'am," the officer replied.

Looking out at the lake, Sandra realized that for now, all she could do was to hope that everything worked out. Of course, it helped that two of her best Sailors were heading out to deal with the source of the problem. It also helped that they would have air support if they needed it.

**== * SM *==**

The truck shook under another blast from a trailing helicopter while another one roared overhead. The machine guns shot large holes into the bed of the truck, barely missing Sailor Mars.

"Enough of this already," Mars shouted.

"Do you think they're mad?" Venus asked.

"Just a bit," Mars replied. "But so am I." With that, she put her hands together. "MARS FIRE IGNITE," she shouted, and a fireball shot out and enveloped the helicopter in searing flames. The copter then exploded, showering the road behind them with flaming bits of metal.

With that, one helicopter sprayed more bullets at the truck while the other one raced ahead. It flittered around the east face of the mountain before rising up and over it.

Sailor Venus continued to drive along the mountain road toward the nearby ski resort whose parking lot had also served as an impromptu landing area for their shuttle. Nearby was a relative term however. The truck was skirting the mountain that provided the ski resort with most of its business, but the parking lots were on the other side of the mountain.

The road carved an asphalt path through the snowy slopes of the mountain. Sailor Venus tried to concentrate on the road but the incessant droning of the helicopter was a constant distraction that was elevated dramatically with each attempt that they made to destroy the truck.

The road curved lazily off to the right, following the curve of the mountain. Suddenly the mountain seemed to slump over the road and the road tunneled into the side of the rocky mass. Looking off to the left, Venus could see that the tunnel emerged and continued toward the mountain's western side.

A plan dawned on her.

"Get ready to get out of the truck!" She shouted. At about that moment, the light of day was snuffed out as they entered the tunnel.

Venus continued to drive as the road slowly curved back to the left. Finally, the light of the exit behind them disappeared and was replaced a light from up ahead. At that point, Venus stopped the truck.

"Get ready now," she said as the others got out of the truck. "Any minute now, that helicopter's going to start wondering why we haven't come out the other side of the tunnel, and when they try to check it out, we whack em."

"Got it," Mars replied grimly. She was clearly tired of being the target of large-caliber weapons.

Sure enough, after a few minutes of waiting in the cold darkness, the Sailors were rewarded by the sight of the helicopter lowering itself in front of the exit to investigate the disappearance of its quarry. Sailor Venus had left the truck's headlights on purposefully, and the pilot seemed to realize that the entire thing was a trap. The helicopter started to rise away from the exit of the tunnel, but it was too late.

"MARS FLAME SNIPER!"

"VENUS LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!"

"JUPITER GRAVITON POWER!"

All three attacks blasted forth from the tunnel as though they had been shot from a cannon. Mars' flame sniper attack struck first, impaling the pilot and incinerating the cockpit. Venus' attack sheared the rotors form the rest of the machine, and they flew off into the forest that adorned the mountain, tearing into the bark of several trees before slamming directly into the trunk of massive tree and coming to rest buried several inches into it.

Jupiter's attack shredded the remains with the force of an earthquake. Just after Jupiter released her attack, Venus realized the danger, and sure enough, the gravity force wave had been magnified by the tunnel and had damaged the exit.

"Back in!" She shouted as she ran for the door. The women piled into the truck, and Venus threw the vehicle into gear and slammed her foot onto the gas pedal. The truck rocketed forward, toward the light and freedom. Venus could already see sand, gravel, and small rocks showering the roadway. Pushing the truck for all it was worth, Venus even tried willing the truck to go faster, as if good thoughts could somehow alter the outcome.

As it was, the truck bolted out of the tunnel just before the first large stone fell. Venus quickly swerved to avoid the twisted wreckage that remained of the second helicopter. Then Venus' thoughts turned to the remaining helicopter.

"I know where it is," Venus muttered quietly.

"What?" Jupiter shouted over the roar of the engine.

"Get ready to bail out!" Venus shouted. "And then, get ready to teleport me!"

"What?" Jupiter yelled. "Teleport you?"

"Just do it!" Venus replied. Just then, she swerved onto a little-used road that seemed to run straight up the side of the mountain.

The truck, beaten and abused as it was, bounded up the rough road as though it enjoyed the experience. Snow rained away from the vehicle, showering the nearby trees. 

"What are you doing, Venus?" Sailor Mars shouted from the back of the truck as she held on for dear life, but her friend didn't seem to hear her. The forest was already beginning to thin out and Mars could see that there was a clearing of some sort up ahead.

The truck burst out of the forest and onto the ski run that topped the mountain.

"Perfect!" Venus thought as she aimed the truck toward the top of the run…and the summit of the mountain. Jupiter and Mars watched in horror as skiers ran or dove out of the way of the on-coming vehicle.

Jupiter was the first to notice that the truck was rapidly approaching the top of the run and that Venus was not slowing down. "What are you doing?" She asked.

Sailor Venus ignored the question and instead, focused on getting as much speed from the truck as she could. The snow-covered ground rapidly sped by and the crest of the mountain approached.

"Now!" Venus shouted with such force that Jupiter had her door open before she stopped.

"But…"

"NOW!" Venus pushed Sailor Jupiter out the door. Jupiter fell into the snow and rolled several times through the powder. Mars had just sprung from the back of the truck and landed neatly next to Jupiter.

Both of them looked just in time to see the truck rocket off the top of the mountain

Sailor Venus was still in it.

**== * SM *==**

The ground spiraled beneath her as Sailor Venus fell. Above her, the truck flew though the air and collided with the final helicopter. She had leapt from the truck quickly enough that she avoided getting caught in the fiery explosion that resulted when the two vehicles slammed together. Luckily, the spinning rotors had sailed off in the opposite direction.

Now however, as the ground rushed up to meet her, Venus began to think her luck had run out. If Sailor Jupiter did not teleport her soon, she would be splattered on the rocks below. She was not sure that having a pure heart crystal would prevent her from death.

Her fears were about to become an awful reality. The trees shot upward and Venus screamed…

…just as she faded from existence.

Sailor Mars breathed a sigh of relief as Sailor Venus materialized a short distance in front of her. She ran and met Venus and the two hugged each other tightly. 

Tears streaming from her eyes, Mars said, "I thought you were dead."

"I nearly was," Venus replied, still surprised to be among the living.

"Yes," Jupiter agreed. "The pain from being shot was almost more than I could concentrate through."

The three Sailors turned and started the long walk down to the resort buildings.

"I can't believe you'd do something so reckless!" Mars yelled, just getting started…

**== * SM *==**

In the Central Pacific

The yacht _Grandeur of the Seas_ floated atop the still waters of the ocean. Haruka sat on the side of the ship as she finished donning the rubber scuba suit. Next to her, Michiru was going through a similar process. After the suit was on, Haruka grabbed one of the oxygen canisters and slung it onto her back, fitting the valve endings into her mask. Once Michiru had also finished with her tank, Haruka looked toward the upper deck of the ship, where a well-tanned man stood manning the controls.

"Roland!" She yelled, and the Filipino turned to look at her.

"Yes Señora," he said.

"Don't do anything stupid while we're gone," Haruka said. "If you see anyone, and they don't give the proper reply to palace codes, get out of here."

"But Señora," the man started to protest.

"That was not a request," Michiru chimed in.

"Aye," Rolando replied, seeing he was not going to prevail.

Haruka and Michiru turned to each other.

"Are you ready?" Haruka asked as she held out her hand toward her partner.

"Yes," Michiru replied as she grasped her partner's hand.

"Okay then," Haruka said. "Let's do it." And with that, both women fell backward off the side of the boat and splashed into the blue-green waters of the ocean.

The yacht receded in the distance as Haruka and Michiru swam deeper into the depths of the ocean. Schools of brightly colored fish flowed through the waters nearby. The coral-covered ocean floor slowly rose up to meet them and they started along its surface.

Haruka surveyed the surroundings and tapping Michiru on the shoulder, pointed to a dome-like structure in the distance. Michiru nodded, and they started swimming in that direction.

**== * SM *==**

Control Center – Subsurface Planetary Defense System

"Retinal Scan complete," the computer said. "Access granted, Commander Anne Walters." 

Riley carefully set the eyeball on the nearby control panel and looked around the control room. Where the blue and white-uniformed palace personnel had been now stood his own men. All of the casualties of his assault had been thrown into the storage rooms. All except one. Her body was sprawled on the floor nearby, blood still seeping from the gouge that had removed her right eye. After he had launched the missiles at the Moon Palace, Riley would have the bodies dumped into the ocean.

The control panels were arranged in a circle around the room, with the most important controls situated at the far end of the room from the entrance. A large viewscreen dominated the wall directly to the right of the main controls, and a status board showing the Pacific Ocean and the missile silos that made up the SPDS in this area flanked the main controls to the left.

In the center of the room was a large pool. Riley knew however that the pool in fact was open to the ocean by the fact that the control module was built on four stilts that were dug deeply into the ocean floor. A bridge arced slightly as it traversed the distance between the entrance to the control room and the main controls.

"All systems ready, sir," one of the men manning the other controls reported.

"Good," Riley replied. "Let's get this show on the road, shall we? Computer, initiate full launch sequence."

"Launch sequence requires retinal scan," the computer replied.

"Ah yes," Riley muttered as he reached for the bloody eyeball. "The invincible retina scan." He held the eyeball up to the scanner probe, then said: "Begin retina scan." A small red beam passed over the eyeball.

"Retina scan complete," the computer said. "All missile components moved to launch status two. Ready to launch." A bank of buttons started flashing, each button representing a nuclear missile inside of a cement silo.

"Sir," another henchman said. "We have intruders coming in from the northwest."

Riley went over to the man's controls and tapped a couple buttons. An image of the deep ocean flashed on to the screen above the control panel. Two forms could be seen swimming along the ocean floor.

"They're from the Moon Palace," Riley said simply. "Use Teams 3 and 4, and get rid of them."

"How do you know they are from the Moon Palace?"

"This is a government-controlled area," Riley replied. "Who else would they be? Now, get going."

The man bowed slightly, then hurried off to fulfill his orders.

**== * SM *==**

Haruka and Michiru were swimming just above the coral-encrusted ocean floor when they spotted four shapes moving toward them. Rather than retreat, the two women readied themselves for the attack. 

The four attackers were armed with thin arm-mounted gyro crossbows. The bolts had serrated edges and were quite effective underwater at short range. They rode scuba sleds that churned up the water behind them.

As the two groups got closer, the attackers paired off so that there were two of them against one foe.

The two men on Haruka swam out as to flank her, then fired at her. She was nimble enough to avoid one shot, but the other bolt winged her arm. Blood poured from the wound. Michiru, who had been missed by the first shots at her, moved toward Haruka and was about to put her hand over the wound to stop the bleeding, but Haruka waived her off. Instead, she continued to swim, but she was noticeably slowed. 

Seeing an easy kill, the attackers closed in on Haruka. When they were close enough, they raised the crossbows and took aim.

Haruka took that second to act. Grimacing in pain, she pivoted quickly and jabbed the man in the throat. When he reached for his throat, she grabbed his arm and fired three quick shots at his companion. One shot hit him in the leg, another hit square in the chest. The third bold thudded into his skull. Haruka pulled the crossbow from the drowned man, then let him go.

One of the other assailants shot at Michiru. The bolt ricocheted off her oxygen tank. The leak was small, but Michiru noticed it immediately, and realized she had only a few minutes of air left.

Just then, blood blossomed from the bodies of the men attacking Michiru. Their bodies drifted lifelessly away and Michiru could see Haruka, her arm still aimed at where they had been. Haruka shrugged, then motioned to Michiru, her crossbow, and one of the dead men. Michiru took the crossbow and oxygen tank from one of the assailants and put them on.

Haruka and Michiru continued toward the command center.

**== * SM *==**

Control Center – Subsurface Planetary Defense System

"Our men are dead," the henchman reported. "The intruders are still coming, but one looks wounded. Should Groups 1 and 2 go after them?"

"No," Riley said as he gazed at the screen. "No. We'll deal with them when they get here."

**== * SM *==**

Haruka and Michiru stood outside an airlock. Michiru reached over to the combination panel and tapped a few buttons on the numbered keypad. The light on the control panel blinked green, and the door began to open.

Soon both women were in the airlock waiting for the water to be pumped out, and soon that was accomplished.

"Good thing they didn't change the access codes to the doors," Michiru said.

"Yes," Haruka replied. "The fact that someone other than the Moon Kingdom has access to this facility is bad enough."

"I don't want to think what they might do with it."

"Time to stop this," Haruka said. "URANUS STAR POWER!"  
"NEPTUNE STAR POWER!"

After the transformation effects faded, Sailor Uranus opened the inner door and stepped inside just ahead of Sailor Neptune.

Before they got to the first intersection, the Sailors found themselves pinned down by three guards with lasers.

"We can't use our powers in here!" Neptune shouted as a laser bolt exploded above her head. "The forces involved would break through the outer hull!"

The blue iridescence of a laser blast flashed past Uranus and made her duck back into cover behind a corner

"They're using lasers from the weapons locker!" Uranus yelled. "Can't these goons do anything without stealing something?"

Sailor Neptune didn't hear her partner's quip. Ever since the firefight at the intersection had begun, a throbbing headache had been forming, and with the flaring laser bolts being hurled back and forth, the pain grew worse.

Uranus saw Neptune drop to the floor, grabbing her head.

"Neptune!" She shouted. "Were you shot?"

Neptune screamed.

"No, dammit!" Uranus turned and fired a shot past the corner and the return shot nearly took her ear off. Driven by her partner's continued screams, Uranus frantically looked around for something to fight with.

Then she spotted the fire extinguisher. Beneath it was a large sign that in bold red letters said: "FOR EMERGENCY USE"

"Well, this qualifies," Uranus muttered as she opened the cabinet and grabbed the extinguisher. Quickly pulling the safety pin on the device, she slipped back to the intersection, whipped around the corner, and fired.

White foam sprayed out into the corridor, quickly covering the men in a dense fog. They tried firing their lasers, but the energy was almost instantly absorbed. Uranus continued firing the extinguisher for a few more seconds, then released the trigger and set the canister on the floor. The three guards lay unmoving on the ground, smothered in the white foamy fire retardant.

Uranus rushed to Sailor Neptune's side. Sailor Neptune was curled into a fetal position, her hands clasped around the back of her neck, her arms shielding her head, her eyes tightly shut.

**== * SM *==**

The large shark swam slowly through the watery depths of the ocean. The sea was dark and cold, and lonely. Most of the other fish stayed as far away as they could, and the shark itself stayed as far away as it could from those that could do it harm.

Suddenly the great fish nearly stopped moving. It was feeling an instinct that it hadn't felt in years. Slowly, the shark turned and headed toward the great man-made shape that was on the horizon.

Normally the shark would have avoided such a structure, but the instinct driving it was irresistible.

**== * SM *==**

Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune entered the control room and were immediately shot at. One of the two laser bolts bounced off the floor in front of Sailor Uranus. The Sailors returned fire with their crossbows. Uranus hit one man twice, once in the leg, and again in the arm. He dropped his gun and dropped to the deck in pain. Neptune hit one of the men in the center of his chest, and he toppled into the pool.

The two remaining men were quickly dispatched.

Through it all, Mikel Riley watched.

"Nice work," he said as he reached over to pick up a heavy wooden quarterstaff. "You've saved me the trouble of having to get rid of a bunch of bad employees."

"You're next," Uranus said as she strode across the bridge over the pool

"Not likely," Riley said as he readied himself. "The people you see here were combat novices. They were technicians, not warriors, with only the very basic training. I am an expert."

"What makes you think I won't just shoot you?" Sailor Uranus asked.

"Now, where would the sport be in that?" Riley asked. "Or the honor."

"Honor among thieves, " Uranus muttered as she held her right hand into the air. "SPACE SWORD!" The sword flared to life in her upraised hand and she brought it down quickly and met the first strike of Riley's staff. She stepped back a step, then drove forward, forcing Riley backward. Sailor Uranus continued the attack and Riley continued to retreat. Sailor Neptune saw a chance to get to the main controls and started down the circular path toward them. Riley saw her however and brought his staff up quickly, smacking Uranus in the face. He then pressed a well-hidden knob on the staff, and a laser bolt shot from the staff and hit Sailor Neptune, who was thrown roughly to the floor.

"No one is allowed to interfere," Riley growled.

"Neptune…" Sailor Uranus breathed. With a snarl, she launched herself at Riley, her sword a blur as she hacked and slashed at the man in a blind rage. Too many times. Too many times her partner had gotten hurt because of the mission. When the fate of the universe was in the balance, they each had accepted that as the price they had to pay. They were destined to complete the mission, and their goals and dreams were expendable. Now however, there was no mission that dominated their destiny. They were asked to stay on by Neo-Queen Serenity, even after the new Sailors had taken over their old roles, and both partners had done so. They were asked to participate in the building of the Moon Kingdom, and they did so. 

However, no longer did either of them have to stand by emotionlessly while the other suffered.

And they no longer would.

Mikel Riley tried in vain to defend himself, and he did a good job. Had he been fighting anyone else, he soon would have turned a potent defense into a devastating offense. Several times, he blocked a blow that rattled him through his arms and into his back. With each deflected blow, Riley stepped back until he fell against the main control panel. He braced himself against the panel to keep his balance, and his hand slammed down on a set of buttons. Then he used the panel as leverage to push into Sailor Uranus and started to drive the Sailor soldier back.

Sailor Neptune returned to consciousness and surveyed her surroundings. Sailor Uranus and Riley continued to battle, and Riley was doing a better job than Neptune would have thought possible against a swordsman of Sailor Uranus' caliber. Neptune got up and started toward the controls, then stopped as she saw the display.

REINAL SCAN CONFIRMED…LAUNCH AUTHORIZATION CONFIRMED

ACTIVATION OF PLANETARY DEFENSE SYSTEM IN 2:00 MINUTES.

"We have to hurry!" Neptune shouted as she started toward the main control panel.

Riley also heard her and paused long enough to fire another laser bolt from his staff. The bolt slammed into a support strut near Neptune, and it snappedSailor Neptune was thrown into the aquamarine water.

"Neptune!" Uranus shouted, but her partner did not answer

**== * SM *==**

Sailor Neptune swam underwater along the walkway. She planned to come up near the main control panels and she hoped that she would have the time needed to shut down the launch sequence.

Just then, a large shape loomed nearby. Neptune looked out into the pool in time to see a shark swim into the pool. It's gray skin faded nicely into the deep water. Neptune discarded her original idea and decided that it would be less risky to take her chances with Riley's laser bolts.

With a glance at the shark, Sailor Neptune climbed from the pool and shouted one word to Sailor Uranus.

"NOW!"

Sailor Uranus started to drop back, and Riley charged forward. He tripped over Uranus' right leg. Uranus fell backward onto the bridge and her sword shimmered, then flickered out.

Riley fell forward into the swirling water. He quickly surfaced and frantically reached for the edge of the bridge. Uranus moved quickly and reached down to help. Thenshe saw the shark coming up from below him. She quickly got to her feet and fled.

Suddenly Riley found himself in the jaws of the great beast. He barely had time to scream. The shark's vise-like jaws snapped shut on the man. Blood sprayed from the shark's jaws as its serrated teeth tore into the soft flesh of its victim. Blood gushed from the Riley's mouth and nose as his screeching screams turned into guttural howls, then into silence. The water foamed red, and Sailor Neptune saw an arm floating on the surface, one end tattered and bloody.

Rushing to the main control panel, the Sailors found that they were quickly running out of time. The countdown blinked urgently at them…30…29…28…

Activating her communicator, Uranus yelled: "Luna Foundation, there's a missile launch in progress and we have less than twenty-five seconds left! Please say you have something that can handle this!"

Luna's voice came over the com-link.

"We do."

**== * SM *==**

Aboard the Serena

"The Serena is in Earth orbit right now," Sandra told the cats. The ship had been launched as a precaution in case a situation like this developed. The ship had also not been affected by the damage that Charles Kimball had wreaked on the Luna Foundation's computers.

"Weapons controls to my station," Sandra ordered, sounding calmer than she felt. 

**== * SM *==**

Control Center – Subsurface Planetary Defense System

…15…

"Commence silo cap retraction," the computer said.

"Abort!" Uranus shouted. "Luna Foundation authorization Uranus Alpha-Five-Nine!"

"Silo command aborted," the computer replied calmly.

…13…

"What are you doing?" Neptune asked.

"If those missiles launch, we're screwed," Uranus replied grimly. "But if they explode in the silos, the explosion should be contained."

"I hope you know what you're doing," Neptune said.

"I do too," Uranus said. "Computer, abort missile launch command! Luna Foundation authorization Uranus Alpha-Five-Nine!"

"Authorization does not match authorization SPDS Walters. Countdown continuing."

…10…

**== * SM *==**

Aboard the Serena

"I have a lock on the control center," Sandra reported. "I need options and I need them quickly."

"Can you fire at all of the missiles?" Luna asked. 

"That would take too long, even for the computer," came the reply.

"What about hitting the control center?" Artemis asked.

"Once the command to fire is given, the missiles operate largely independent from the control center," Amy reported from her station.

"Besides," Sandra replied. "We have people down there. I'm going with my idea." With that, Sandra pressed the toggle switch to activate the ship's lasers.

Two laser beams flared from the ship in orbit and stabbed into the ocean. For a split second they stayed motionless, but then within the blink of an eye, both lasers seemed to cut a circle in the ocean. Then they disappeared.

"What did you do?" Luna asked.

"I cut the data line," Sandra said. "Without the launch order, the missiles won't go anywhere and we can shoot down those that do launch."

All eyes were on the countdown.

…03…02…01…00…

Three nuclear missiles flared to life. With their launches cleared, they shot upward, only to hit the solidness of the silo caps. 

The warheads erupted.

Sailor Uranus had almost been right. The force of the three thermonuclear detonations was contained by the walls of the silos and the silo caps.

The floors of the silos however were not built to tolerate the explosive forces unleashed. As the vibrations from the explosions against the silo walls started a small tidal wave and rolled across the ocean floor, the full force of the warheads was directed downward.

**== * SM *==**

Control Center – Subsurface Planetary Defense System

The violent shuddering that accompanied the explosions rippled through the room and the lights fluttered into darkness. Then the shaking subsided and the red emergency lights clicked on, bathing the room in blood-red light. 

The two Sailor soldiers got to their feet as the lights on the control boards winked back to life and the large viewscreens lit up. 

"Look," Neptune said pointing to the view screen that displayed the status of the missiles. Three circles, the ones closest to the control center, blinked red. The rest were a steady green. "We did it," she said.

"Looks like it," Uranus replied. She put her hand on Neptune's shoulder. "Let's go home."

**== * SM *==**

Two Days Later on ABC News

"On our top story, an earthquake has rocked the northern islands of Indonesia. The quake measured 7.5 on the Richter scale…"

A Month Later

"The earth continues to rumble. Since the initial earthquake in northern Indonesia, there have been seven major earthquakes, including the eastern Siberian quake that measured 8.2 on the Richter Scale, and the Vancouver quake that measured 8.7. There have also been numerous volcanic eruptions from the Philipines to Mexico. Scientists today confirmed that global climates may be affected…

**== * SM *==**

The meeting of the royal family of the Moon Kingdom and the Sailors began on an ominous note.

"We may be seeing the beginnings of a global ecological catastrophe," Sandra said. "It might be the event that will render the planet uninhabitable….and we may have caused it."

The meeting continued form there. There would be aid to those who needed it. Money would be sent to various world governments, and work to unify the glob under one government headed by the Moon Palace and the Luna Foundation would be accelerated.

While those assembled agreed with the ideas that Sandra and Neo-Queen Serenity put forward, Sandra could see that a dark cloud seemed to hang over the group, as though this was an evil that was not stopped. Each Sailor, old and young, seemed to share in a silent berating. _How could this happen? How could we have caused this? _

Finally the meeting broke up, and the Sailors went their own ways. Neo-Queen Serenity quietly got up and walked out of the room, leaving Sandra and both Setsuna and Vanessa still seated at the ebony-colored table.

"You know, sometimes I really hate the two of you," was all Sandra said before she too got up and left.

# FINI

# EPILOGUE

# The Return of the King

Isoru Ikeda was a busy man. With the aid transports to Earth transporting food and medicine to survivors of the earthquakes in the northern hemisphere, Ikeda's day often started very early and went on for over fourteen continuous hours.

Thus when he first saw the red blip at the edge of the sensor screen, he chalked it up to a case of fatigue. His eyes had to be playing tricks. No Luna Foundation ship was scheduled for patrol duty out on the rim of the solar system. So Ikeda turned back to his work.

Ikeda's next surprise came when the computer beeped at him. Looking up at the sensor screen, he saw that the new red dot had gotten brighter, and the computers had attached a name tag to it.

"HMS Darien"

****"Sir," Ikeda called out to the man in charge of the flight control center. "I think you need to see this."

The man walked over and looked at the screen that Ikeda pointed to. Then, leaning over Ikeda, he looked again.

"My God," the officer said. "The King has returned. Inform the Palace immediately." Then to the rest of the people in the room: "I have an announcement! King Endymion has returned!" The cheer that erupted in the control room was repeated again and again as the news traveled throughout the Moon Palace and the Luna Foundation. 

The large, somewhat flat triangle-shaped ship gleamed under the white lights that floated over it from spotlights at the palace and around the landing pad. Fireworks blossomed over the skies above the lake south of the Palace.

Over the palace's intercom system, a voice announced the countdown to the exact second that the _HMS Darien_ would touch down on the lunar surface. The people watching the landing from the landing area itself noticed that there were a few scorch marks on several portions of the hull, but on the whole, the ship looked very good.

The Darien softly touched down on the tarmac and the huge platform began its slow trek into the hangar. The sky was filled with fireworks, and Luna Foundation fighters added their boisterous cheering to the celebration.

The ship finally came to a stop inside the massive hangar that was its home. Arrayed in front of the port-forward access hatch was an honor guard, who surrounded the royal court. All of the princesses of the kingdom were kneeling, in a semi-circle, each wearing dresses representing their respective planets. 

Neo-Queen Serenity was kneeling near the airlock in a pure white dress. Her head was bowed, and her hands were clasped on her lap.

Then the airlock was opening and the royal announcer was shouting: "All Hail to His Majesty, King Endymion, Lord of the Moon Kingdom, Defender of the Realm!"

Then he was there. His black hair, his glistening black armor, and his flowing black cape. It was truly him. King Endymion. Darien.

"Darien!" Neo-Queen Serenity cried as she flew to him and into his arms. Then, remembering the ceremony of the occasion, the queen drew back and curtseyed deeply before him. "Your Majesty," she said.

With a bow, Endymion took his wife's hand and gently pulled her to her feet. The king kissed the velvet-gloved hand of his queen, and the two then turned and walked down the red carpet that extended from the airlock. As they passed, the princesses gathered up their dresses and followed their monarchs.

And the rain of confetti began.

# Fanfic ã2001 – John Brengman and Artemis Publishing

Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, 

ã 1992 by Toei Animation Co Ltd. and based on Kodansha's

manga production of "Sailor Moon", written by Naoko Takeuchi

This fanfic is freely distributed. Release date: March 14, 2001

Release: 3rd Edition Release: March 26, 2001


	26. SX#26 - Death of the Quartet

Sailor X #26Death of the Quartet

By: John Brengman

Los Angeles

"Yes folks, the weird red-headed ringmaster shouted over the microphone to the roaring audience. "JunJun the Acrobat has put the gold ring in the lion's mouth!" Actually, the ring had been slipped around one of the lion's huge teeth just as another woman, this one with blue balls strung from her hair had tapped on the lion's nose, a signal for the beast to open its massive jaws.

"Let's give it up for JunJun and ParaPara!" VesVes yelled, then she joined in the cheering. Far above all of this, CereCere sat perched on one of the trapeze landings taking in as much of the adoration as she could before she and the other trapeze artists would finish the show with a flourish.

The noise of the crowds could still be heard as VesVes slipped behind the inner folds of the circus tent and into the dim corridors that led to the private rooms of the performers. Somehow the magic of the circus tent persisted after the demise of the evil Dead Moon Circus and now the circus tent/ship was now the permanent home of the Amazing Amazoness Quartet's Flying Circus.

The curious were told that the circus moved like a balloon, with huge gas bags that could be filled when they needed to move. Other explanations ranged from something near the truth to things that could not possibly be true. It was okay as long as the public bought it. The uniqueness of the circus was one of its bigger drawing points.

There were problems, however, and these were what caused VesVes to droop her shoulders as she walked. She didn't make it to her room before she leaned against a heavy wooden post, gazed skyward, then closed her eyes as a silent tear fell.

It was getting closer and closer with each show. CereCere had missed a move during the show and had ended up in the nets... Again. JunJun pushed herself very hard, but the stress was starting to show on her face. VesVes sometimes felt as though she were inundated with all sorts of details that were simply boring. The weight of her world seemed to fall right on her shoulders. 

The only one who didn't seem to be affected by all of this was ParaPara, who laughed at practically everything, but quickly excused herself from the room whenever any of the others seemed about to argue.

"And to top it all off," VesVes thought, "my birthday is next week." She tried not to think about it. She tried not to think of the fact that her age now started with athree. Yet that was also part of the problem. No matter how hard they tried to keep their childhood alive, no matter how healthy they kept themselves, their age was beginning to impose limitations that their talent couldn't compensate for.

Sooner or later, the circus would have to close permanently.

VesVes allowed herself to cry softly. After a minute or so, she would be able to reel in her feelings and continue with the business of running the circus. Besides, it would not do for ParaPara to see her cry.

An acrid smell then caught her attention. Opening her eyes, VesVes saw a thick purple fog. Suddenly she felt light-headed. She didn't notice that she had fallen until after it had happened. Then she was standing again, looking around for the source of the fog. Then she heard the voice.

_"Never doubt the power of innocent dreamers."_

_"Never doubt the dreams of innocent children."_

_"Never doubt your worst nightmare."_

"Wha.." VesVes stammered just before she saw the dark shadowy figure. It's face was hidden by a large cowl.

The figure stepped forward as the woman in front of him fell to the ground. Then he reached up and pulled back the cowl.

"I believe that's how it goes," Scaramanga said grimly.

**== * SM *==**

Sailors Mars, Venus, and Moon found themselves summoned to the Medical Center. Venus and Mars met shortly before they got to their destination.

"Do you know what this is about?" Mars asked.

"Nope," Venus said. "And we just had physicals done."

Mars simply shrugged her shoulders and the two continued down the corridor.

"While this sort of monitoring of a private business is questionable," Amy told the group of Sailors gathered before her, "the Amazoness Quartet's agreement with us states that they will keep us updated on where they are performing."

"They've kept this up for fifteen years?" Sailor Venus asked.

"Ves Ves has actually been very good about keeping their end of the bargain," Amy replied

"What's our part of the bargain?" Sailor Moon asked.

"We help with government inquiries and bureaucratic procedures," Amy said. "And we keep in touch with them."

"So they forget to tell us that they've moved to the next city," Mars said. "One time in fifteen or so years?"

"Normally I'd agree that it's not a big deal," Amy said. "But, they were scheduled to leave Los Angeles two days ago, and they haven't moved. Neo-Queen Serenity has authorized a team to investigate the situation."

"We'll be glad to do it," Sailor Moon said. "The Amazoness Quartet have gone a long way since they were our enemies. They deserve our help." The others nodded their agreement, then they started for the door.

**== * SM *==**

Los Angeles

The tent-ship that served as the home of the Amazing Amazoness Quartet's Flying Circus didn't seem spooky in the sense that there was no aura of evil, no foreboding premonitions of utter doom. 

However, the fact that no one was milling about the area created a sense of unease around the seemingly normal-looking tent.

"Well," Sailor Moon thought, "as normal as any circus tent could be when considering whatever it is that makes it able to move through the air." All she said to the other two Sailors was a stern: "Hurry up!"

Soon the three women were standing just outside the tent. Sailor Moon looked over at the nearby tent flap that covered an entrance into the depths of the tent.

"Well," she said. "Who goes first?"

Dead silence answered her.

"Well, don't all speak at once."

Sailor Venus started forward before the others could speak. Suddenly, she had tossed aside the tent flap and disappeared into the darkness beyond. Sailor Mars approached the entrance and pulled the flap back. Sailor Moon came forward and looked inside. 

"It's okay," Venus called from the darkness. "There's nothing in here."

Sailor Moon stepped into the tent, and the darkness swallowed her as Sailor Mars followed behind her.

"What now?" Sailor Moon asked the darkness. 

"Before the light went out, I saw three ways we could go," Venus replied from beside Sailor Moon. "One hallway to the right, another to the left, and a longer one straight ahead."

"Okay, let's split up," Sailor Moon said. "Venus, take the left, Mars, take the right.

The Sailors murmured their agreement, then Sailor Moon started forward. She was beginning to wonder how she was going to see anything at all when the lights flickered to life.

"I found the power controls," Mars said over the communicator. "There's a lot of stuff to check out here, so I'll get back to you."

"I found the circus area," Venus said as she stood in the center ring. "I'll look around out here."

Sailor Moon gazed down the hallway in front of her. The hallway gently curved to the left, and along the right wall was a set of doors. The first four doors had small golden stars on colored diamond backgrounds. Sailor Moon walked by each door, noting the names on the stars.

Ves Ves

Jun Jun

Paea Para

Cere Cere

**== * SM *==**

Drabesh Palace

Sailor Moon's image flickered in the ether inside the crystal ball.

"Ah," Scaramanga growled from his throne. "The cowboys have arrived." With that, he stood up and strode down the stairs in front of the throne.

"Well my dears," the villain said. "I am trembling in fear. I guess I should just turn myself in and throw myself on the tender mercies of Sailor Moon and those peace-loving idiots at the Luna Foundation."

When he reached the end of the black carpet that extended from the throne, Scaramanga whipped around.

"NEVER!"

"If the Sailors insist on playing the white hats," Scaramanga growled, "I guess we should provide them with the villains!"

Then he laughed a maniacal laugh and gazed upward. Four cylinders were hanging in a row in the air near the wall. Inside the each of the cylinders was a member of the Amazoness Quartet. Shimmering energy cascaded over their naked bodies and Scaramanga could see that they were screaming.

Not far away, a large mirror hung suspended in the air. The raven-haired form of Queen Nehellennia gazed down at the scene in front of her.

The laughter continued.

**== * SM *==**

The dressing room belonging to Ves Ves was completely wrecked. Furniture was strewn around and broken. The white vanity was the only piece of furniture that was not smashed, but the mirror that was attached to the back of it was. Cans and jars of perfumes and sprays were scattered about and fingernail polish was spilled across the dress and had dripped to the floor.

The same situation was repeated in the other three dressing rooms...with one difference. In Para Para'sroom, Sailor Moon discovered a message scrawled on the wall above the blue-bedecked bed that was smashed nearly beyond recognition.

"SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILDREN TO COME UNTO ME!"

And underneath that was a scrawled signature: "Scaramanga". With a gasp, Sailor Moon looked closer at the writing.

It was written in blood.

"My God…"

Then Sailor Venus screamed over the communicator.

Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars rushed into the circus and saw that Sailor Venus was surrounded by four gray forms. 

"What the…" Mars exclaimed.

"It's them!" Venus shouted. "The Amazoness Quartet!"

Sailor Moon looked again, and sure enough, it was the foursome…but there was something wrong. However, the gray form of Ves Ves threw a gray ball into the air, whipped out a huge bat, and whacked the ball toward Sailor Venus, who dove to the ground to dodge the projectile. The ball exploded as it slammed into the ground behind her.

The gray form of Jun Jun launched itself at Sailor Mars, who tried to duck out of the way. She didn't, and the two combatants ended up in a heap. Sailor Mars was not very good as a physical fighter and she ended up trying to fend off the blows from the villain.

Cere Cere attacked Sailor Venus with a whip. After a couple of attacks that missed her, Venus threw her hand into the air.

"VENUS WHIP!"

A whip handle appeared in Sailor Venus' right hand and she slung her hand out at the shadowy villain. As she did so, an orange energy ribbon shot out.At the same time, Cere Cere threw her whip forward and the two weapons entangled each other. Now it seemed as though this test of wills between Sailor Venus and her foe would come down to a tug of war.

Sailor Venus wasn't done though. Switching the whip to her left hand, she again threw her hand into the air.

"VENUS CRESCENT BEAM SMASH!"

She brought her hand down, and instead of pointing directly at Cere Cere, she touched the handle of the whip. The energy bolt sizzled along the whip, then crossed the knotted tips and continued until it slammed into Cere Cere. The villain's whip disintegrated under the power of Venus' energy, and Venus was then surprised when the beam seemed to incinerate her opponent. The scorched gray form of Cere Cere pitched forward to the ground. When it landed, the body of the villian fell apart into clay-like clumps.

Sailor Moon had continued to dodge the attacks of Ves Ves, and she was getting tired. Sooner or later, she would get too tired to get out of the way of one of the incindiary balls that the gray-like villain was swatting at her. When that happened… That was a subject that hurt to think about, Sailor Moon thought as she continued to dun while dodging.

Just then, Venus yelled: "Hey guys, use one of your powers on them!"

"Gotcha!" Sailor Moon said as she skidded to a stop. Ves Ves silently threw another ball into the air, and whacked it toward the Sailor soldier.

Sailor Moon pulled her tiara from her forehead.

"MOON TIARA MAGIC!"

The tiara shot forward toward the villain. It collided with the ball Ves Ves had shot toward Sailor Moon and cleaved it neatly in half. The two halves dropped to the floor and exploded. The tiara continued until it sliced into Ves Ves, neatly severing the villain's head from her shoulders. Sailor Moon barely had time to let out a horrified "Eeep!" before the body tumbled forward, clumps of gray clay and sand spraying out on the ground as it fell.

Jun Jun and Sailor Mars had continued their wrestling through this all, and now, both had their hands around the other's neck. Both were squeezing very hard, and already Sailor Mars could feel the haze of iunconsciousness coming fast. 

"Hey guys, use one of your powers on them!" came Venus' voice from somewhere far away.Then her vision faded, then went black.

Sailor Mars awoke suddenly with her mouth full of gray dirt.

"Eww!" she yelped as she started spitting out the gritty material. "What happened?"

"I used my tiara on the one attacking you," Sailor Moon said. "Venus got the last one." She paused as Sailor Mars got to her fet. "You know. You really need to work on your hand-to-hand skills."

"I'm just not good at it," Mars replied weakly. 

"Practice, practice, practice," Venus scolded mildly, receiving a grimace from Mars in return.

"Okay," Sailor Moon said quickly before Mars could say anything more. "What did we discover?"

"The controls for flying this thing are in the same place as the lights," Mars reported.

"The dressing rooms are trashed," Sailor Moon said. "And it's a good bet that Scaramanga is behind all of this?"

"Isn't he dead?" Mars asked. "We got rid of him when he went after the last time he tried to destroy the universe."

"I thought he was dead too," Sailor Moon replied, "but apparently he's still quite alive."

"Did any of you notice anything strange about these…whatever it was we were fighting?" Venus asked, motioning to the four piles of gray stuff.

"You mean besides the fact that they're all made out of what looks like clay?" Sailor Moon asked.

"And they were gray?" Sailor Mars asked.

"Those are all weird too," Venus replied. "But did you notice that these villains looked to be teenagers?"

"Wait a minute," Sailor Moon said. "You're right…but the Amazoness Quartet are in their thirties."

# 

**== * SM *==**

Outside Drabesh Palace

The Sailors walked purposefully toward the dark castle ahead. Behind them, the doors of the shuttle closed and locked.

"Thanks for coming," Sailor Moon told Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus. "You didn't have to."

"Stop that," Venus replied. "Of course we had to."

"We're glad to do it," Mars said.

The Sailors walked through the shadowy corridors of the palace. They entered an intersection with a wide hallway that was well-lit with flickering torches. There was a set of double doors a short distance away, and Sailor Moon nodded in that direction.

The huge double doors opened and the three women entered the throne room. Light from the torches outside spilled into the darkness that flooded the room. Heavy stone columns supported a ceiling that could barely be seen.

Then the Sailors saw Queen Nehellennia's mirror…and the four cylinders containing the Amazoness Quartet. Nehellennia still stood motionless in her mirror, and each of the Quartet still seemed to be screaming as sizzling energy flowed over them. The mirror and the cylinders were resting upright on the floor.

The Sailors slowly circled the cylinders, examining them.

"What the…" Sailor Moon said slowly.

"This is the Amazoness Quartet," Sailor Venus said. "The real ones."

"They don't look so good," Sailor Mars muttered.

"I know Scaramanga is evil," Mars said, "but this…"

"Brutal," Sailor Moon said quietly. "It must be stopped."

Just then, a new voice called out from the darkness.

"Never doubt the power of innocent dreamers."

"Never doubt the dreams of innocent children."

"Never doubt your worst nightmare."__

"You'll have to excuse me," Sailor Moon said loudly into the darkness, "but we've heard that spiel before! We didn't buy it then, and we don't buy it now!"

"But it's so catchy," Scaramanga said as he appeared near the throne. "I thought I might frame it," he said with a chuckle as he gestured toward Nahellennia's mirror.

Sailor Moon stepped into the center of the room. With a glance toward the trapped quartet, she confronted the villain. "Let them go."

"Oh gee, let me see," Scaramanga said, feigning thoughtfulness. "Uhmm…no! I'm giving the Amazoness Quartet exactly what they want…eternal youth. The only thing I ask for in return is that they give me a small portion of their life energy so that I can GET RID OF YOU!" With that he whipped his arms upward and huge chunks of the floor erupted under the Sailors' feet. The women were scattered under the convulsing floor and some of the flying debris shattered the glass of the four canisters. The torrents of energy that encased the captured women ceased.

"Damn!" Scaramanga yelled. "See what you did? Do you know how much those things cost?"

"Sue us!" Mars yelled. Then: "MARS FIRE IGNITE!" The roaring fireball roared toward Scaramanga.

"DARKFORCE FIRE IGNITE!" He yelled, and his evil energy shot forward and consumed Mars' attack.

Sailor Venus let out a fierce yell as she threw her arms straight out from her body, then shouted "VENUS CRUCIS MAGIC!" A dull-yellow glow in the shape of a crucifix appeared within the form that was Sailor Venus. As she held her arms steady and her hair waved around her head, the cross seemed to glower angrily. Suddenly, it shot out from Sailor Venus in a spiral and went directly toward Scaramanga who dived forward to avoid the attack. The slowly-spinning cross-like energy bolt landed behind the throne and exploded, showering the throne with shards of rock. The crystal ball shattered under the pummeling. 

Scaramanga found himself near the still-prone form of Ves Ves. Pulling a knife from his clothing, he dragged the woman to her feet and put the knife at her throat.

"Back off!" He said, "or the Quartet becomes a trio!" Then he ripped the knife across her throat. Blood gushed as the major arteries in her neck tried to pump the fluid into a part of the body that seemed to have vanished. The villain dropped the bloody corpse.

"Oops!" He said with a grin as he held up his blood-stained hands. "I slipped!" He started toward the next unconscious form.

"NO!" Sailor Moon screamed as Scaramanga pulled Cere Cere up by her hair. She ripped her tiara from her forehead.

"MOON TIARA MAGIC!" The tiara shot forward and slammed into the villain, ricocheting off his face. He went down, but his hold on the limp form of Cere Cere did not weaken. He seemed to be hiding behind her.

The Sailors then heard the rip as the knife pierced her body, and dark blood bubbled from Cere Cere's mouth. The Sailors rushed forward to protect Jun Jun and Para Para only to see Scaramanga heave the mangled body of Cere Cere at Sailor Moon, who stumbled as the blood-spattered corpse fell on her and toppled to the ground.

"You want her so badly," he grunted. "You can have her." With that, he shambled slowly toward Jun Jun.

"Enough!" Venus shouted as she threw her hand into the air.

"VENUS WHIP!"

A whip handle appeared in Sailor Venus' right hand and she slung her hand out at Scaramanga, who looked very horrid at this point. Sailor Moon's tiara had scorched the left side of his face, and his left eye looked dangerously close to falling out. Venus shot her whip out at the villain…and he caught it.

Venus gasped, but still Scaramanga held the crackling energy from the whip in his bare hands even as it blackened the skin.

"DARKFORCE WHIP!" A whip appeared in Scaramanga's right hand and with a flick of his wrist, it's silvery energy arced toward Sailor Venus. The energy smashed into her and she screamed, then collapsed.

By this time,Scaramanga had reached Jun Jun. He grinned. "That looked painful," he muttered with anod toward Venus. With a flick of his wrist, the whip he was holding was tightening itself around Jun Jun's neck. Smoke rose into the air as the energy from the whip incinerated the woman.

"Yep," Scaramanga said simply. "That was painful."

"This has to stop now," Sailor Moon thought desperately, "before there's nothing left of the Quartet." But as she tried to get to her feet, Scaramanga saw her.

"Who told you to get up?" He growled as he stood over the prone form of Para Para.

"They did," Sailor Moon said. "The dead. They told me to get off my ass and put an end to you, once and for all, and I intend to do it."

"End me?" Scaramanga said. "End me! Oh my dear, that is just hysterical" Suddenly he was in front of Sailor Moon. He grabbed her by the chin and slammed her head-first into one of the stone pillars. A wave of dizziness flooded over her along with the white-hot pain.

"Now you get this, you little bitch!" Scaramanga said acidly. "I am not anything like our good queen over there. Your past villains have all had a single goal, and once those grand strategies failed, they were destroyed like the nothings that they were. I am different. My only goal is to spread as much pain and death as I can, and if I am somehow killed, I am sure I will come back from the grave to continue to spread my brand of chaos!"

Sailor Moon could see only one thing that would get her out of this situation. Clenching her fist tightly, she drove it into Scaramanga's remaining good eye. Then as he fell back screaming, she quickly kicked him between the legs. He howled in pain as he fell to the floor

The strain of that movement was too much however, and Sailor Moon collapsed at the base of the stone column.

"Didn't my mother's first battle happen at the base of a column?" She thought hazily

"Sailor Moon!" Luna's voice seemed to call to her. "You must fight this evil or the entire world will be destroyed!"

"I don't want to play this game…"

Sailor Moon tried to reach past the throbbing pain, past the dizziness. She embraced the memories of her mother. She floated among them until she seemed to be naked, surrounded only by her mother's memories. Finally, she felt as though she was clad only in the memories of her mother, as if they were a suit of armor.

"Now…" a soft voice said.

Sailor Moon stumbled to her feet.

"MOON CRISIS POWER!"

A soft white light flowed in on Sailor Moon, and she basked in its warm glow as it cascaded over her. When she opened her eyes, she saw that she wore a silky white dress with gold embroidery along its edges. The thin crown of the crown princess of the Moon Kingdom sat lightly atop her head. 

Having completed the transformation, Princes Sandra shouted, "MOON STAFF!" A golden light flared and the Moon Staff, appeared in her hands.

With a little sigh, Sandra closed her eyes and thought of her mother. 

"Please forgive me, mother," she thought.

"MOON ZERO MAGIC!" A disk of destructive magic appeared at the tip of the staff and floated outward _towards Scaramanga, who had gotten to his feet and was vainly trying to run away when the energy from the staff hit him. The golden energy enveloped the villain, and Sandra thought she heard him scream as the energy slowly faded away, taking him with it._

As the last of the energy faded into the cold darkness of the room, Sandra lowered the Moon Staff and tiredly closed her eyes. With a flare of white light, she transformed back into Sailor Moon

Just then the room shuddered as the throne exploded.

"Oh no," Sailor Moon thought with a glance at the throne. The explosion had rippled through the entire room and now she could see dust and small rocks falling from the ceiling. She rushed over to Sailor Mars, who was still trying to assist Sailor Venus.

"Can you move her?" Sailor Moon asked.

"Yes," Mars replied. "She's burned pretty bad but nothing's broken…"

"Good," came the reply. "We need to leave. This place is coming apart."

The two Sailors each carried a body toward the double doors they had entered earlier. Along the way, they came to the huge mirror that served as a prison for Queen Nehellennia.

"What do we do about her?" Mars asked.

"There's nothing we can do," Sailor Moon quietly replied, knowing she was consigning another person to death."We can't carry that mirror." "Besides," she thought. "Para Para can still be saved and she can still live a normal life. Queen Nehellennia is a lost cause and if we let her lose, we'll probably run into her later anyway…"

With that, the Sailors fled the throne room, and the palace, which collapsed in on itself soon after they left it.

"We made it!" Sailor Mars shouted as she turned to look at the remains of the palace.

"Yes," Sailor Moon replied. "But I wonder if we paid too high a cost."

Nothing else was said as the two Sailor soldiers continued toward the waiting shuttle.

**== * SM *==**

Keflavik Mental Institute

(on the grounds of the old Keflavik Air Force Base)

Iceland

MEDICAL REPORT – ADMISSION OF PATIENT NUMBER 135990

SELF-ADMITTED

Name: Subject identified only as Para Para

Age: 31

Gender: Female

Admission Parameters: Subject appears to have suffered a recent mental trauma which is now causing delusions, possible multiple personalities, possible paranoia. Possibility of other factors is very high.

Procedure: Follow standard low-security monitoring procedures. Revoke subject's legal status pending successful outcome of her condition.

**== * SM *==**

MEDICAL REPORT – DEATH OF PATIENT NUMBER 135990

Name: Subject identified only as Para Para

Age: 31

Gender: Female

Details: Subject assaulted a guard and obtained the guard's service revolver…

# FINI

# EPILOGUE

# Conception

The Aquarium Room was perhaps the most exotic room in the entire palace. Built into the middle of a six-story salt water aquarium, this private bedroom was surrounded on nearly all sides by the deep blue waters and schools of exotic fish. Strategically placed windows made the room seem to melt into the surrounding waters, and at the same time, they afforded anyone using the bedroom with privacy

A droplet of water formed on the ceiling of the room. This was by no means unusual. A combination of heat and the water on the other side of the walls was often enough to cause water droplets to be formed. 

The two people in the large bed below only added to the favorable circumstances.

Clothing lay scattered on the floor and strewn on the bed but neither man nor woman paid attention to the mess.

"Mmm…Darien," Serena managed to murmur in between long kisses. Then her mouth found his again, crushing together. His arm laying lazily over her body, Darien reached over and caressed his wife's breasts, playfully fingering the hardened nipples. A moan escaped Serena's throat as the tingling from her breasts flowed outward. She could feel his stiffened penis pressed against her as his hands dropped lower to first massage her stomach, then lower still. Serena lifted her leg over Darien's body, silently signaling her readiness.

"My love," Darien said softly. "I've missed you so much." Then he kissed her again. 

"I've missed you too," Serena replied. A happy tear welled up and his being with her right now seemed to wash away the months of loneliness.

"It will never happen again," Darien said. 

Serena nodded slightly. "We'll be together forever." With that, they kissed again, their tongues wetly exploring the depths of each other's mouths.

The droplet of water fell as Darien became one with his wife and the two began the delicate minuet that melted away all of the loneliness, all of the nights spent alone…

_…"Hey Rini…don't ya worry. I'll always be there for ya"…_

_…"Hey Rini, let's go get some ice cream."…_

_…"Sure you can sleep over"…_

_…"You've cried enough, honey"…"Why are you always so mean to me? Daddy, can you pick me up, please?"…"Try to get up yourself."…_

_…"I'll only take the Crystal for a little while…just long enough to be a big girl…like mommy…"…_

_…"I was always alone! You left me alone!"…_

_…"Darien, I promise I won't lose it this time, but I need the Silver Crystal."…_

_…"You've saved our world, my darling…welcome home"…_

A droplet fell again as Darien and Serena climaxed together, their cries of ecstacy absorbed by the reinforced glass walls of the room. A school of brightly-colored fishswam below, oblivious to the life being created above them.

# Fanfic ã2001 – John Brengman and Artemis Publishing

Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, 

ã 1992 by Toei Animation Co Ltd. and based on Kodansha's

manga production of "Sailor Moon", written by Naoko Takeuchi

This fanfic is freely distributed. Release date: March 17, 2001


	27. SX#27 - Protoplasm

Sailor X #1

Sailor X #27Protoplasm

By: John Brengman

Edited by: Thomas Schell

From SX20:

Silence.

Everywhere.

A small mote floated within the silence. 

Nothing else existed.

Nothing.

Anywhere.

Suddenly, a blast of light exploded in front of the mote and before it could flee, it was drawn into the light.

The spiraling tunnel filled with swirling light was as different from its home as land is from an ocean. Bewildered by the newness of it all, the speck barely noticed the brief flash within the swirling mass of tunnels that seemed to be its prison. It neither noticed the small metal shape nearby, nor the blue and white thing that marred the blackness.

Then with another brief flash, the small metal thing disappeared, leaving the mote alone with the big blue and white thing that destroyed the beauty of the blackness around it…

…well, it was almost black. Small specks of white pitted the surface of the universe like billions of tiny imperfections…and the mote could HEAR some of the nearer ones, including a small distant yellowish ball-like THING! They all seemed to whisper at the mote…

All except for the big ugly blue and white thing. Where the other imperfections whispered into the darkness, it shouted!

"I, Richard Milhouse Nixon, will resign…"

"Video killed the radio star…video…"

"Four all-beef patties, lettuce, sauce, pickles…"

"Qadafi counted on America to be passive…"

"This is KIRO, in Seattle…"

"Read my lips…no new taxes…"

"I did not…have…sexual relations…"

"America is seen as a nation that can't control violence committed with guns…"

"This world is bullshit…."

"The city of Tokyo is in ruins following a massive earthquake…"

"NOOOOOO!" The mote screamed as it was bombarded with the shouting from the ugly blue and white ball. As soon as it could, the mote frantically tried to get away. As the noisy object receded behind it, the mote relaxed a little…but not much…because the other objects still were staring at it…and whispering…

**== * SM *==**

Cyberworld – Several Months Before SX20

Laser bolts flashed violently around the orb, which shook under the impact as it tried to flee from the ship chasing it through space. Another volley bracketed the orb, nearly piercing the protective barrier it had surrounded itself with.

Aboard the pursuing ship, Cybermars sat at the command station and glowered. On the viewscreen, it could see the laser bolts from the ship as they lanced out and hammered the orb.

"Its shields are down thirty percent," Cybremercury reported from the science station. 

"Continue the attack," Cybermars ordered. A twinge of anticipation shuddered through the cyborg despite its programming. Cybermars had been following the Orb of Chaos for three years and a number of months, and this was the closest it had come to capturing the elusive artifact.

Another trio of energy bolts slammed into the orb.

"Its shield is down," reported Cybermercury.

"Close to tractor range," came the order. Cybervenus moved to comply.

Just then, the orb emitted a flash of light. It would have blinded a normal human, but automatic adjustments protected the cyborgs.

"Power spike," Cybermercury reported.

"Trying to throw us off the trail," Cybermars thought. "Yes, the orb was just as unpredictable as its name indicated."

"Another power spike," Cybermercury reported, this time an instant before the flash occurred.

"Continue closing," came the order. "Ready the tractor beam."

Then space itself seemed to shift around the orb. The ship shuddered.

"Wormhole generator," Cybermercury said. "We're being pulled in."

"Fire lasers," Cybermars ordered. "Disrupt its field."

Cybervenus's fingers flew over her controls and the cyborgs could hear the lasers firing.

The lasers scorched the surface of the orb, which barely managed to keep itself from breaking apart under the stress. However, there was a balancing act being done. The orb had to control the gravitational and temporal forces in the wormhole in order to escape from the cyborgs. Surrender meant death.

It also had to keep its sanity.

It could do one or the other, but not both.

Unfortunately, the second volley of lasers meant that the orb did neither too successfully. Before the fog of non-existence smothered it like a blanket, the orb could feel the coarseness of time as it shifted slowly out of its normal ebb and flow. It also felt itself break the speed of light…while inside the wormhole it had created.

A cloud-like thing erupted in space, looking a bit like a miniature galaxy. From the center of this "galaxy" a ship drifted slowly into the normal space outside the mouth of the wormhole.

"Report!" Cybermars shouted as it got to its feet and surveyed the smoldering ruins of the Bridge of the ship. A look at the viewscreen confirmed its fears. They had lost the orb. It might take years before they would find it again.

"Power failures on most systems," Cybermercury said. "Weapons, and navigational failures." There was a pause, then: "Engine nearing critical failure. Engine breach in seven seconds."

"Then again…" Cybermars thought. "Perhaps the hunt for the orb would be a bit longer."

"Transmit mission logs to the Luna Foundation," Cybermars ordered. "Initiate engine shutdown…"

Deep space was lit briefly by the fusion implosion. A fiery sun was created for a few seconds, then the materials rapidly cooled and dispersed into the surrounding darkness.

**== * SM *==**

In the Present Day…

A cloud-like thing erupted in space, looking a bit like a miniature galaxy. From the center of this "galaxy" a small round object hurtled into the normal space outside the mouth of the wormhole. The stars streaked by as the orb careened at faster-than-light speed heedless of anything that might be in its way. 

The inhabitants of the planet Khalmis were peaceful and industrious. The first steam ship had sailed across the Pardonesh Sea, breaking speed records set by older ship, much to the delight of business men. Burgeoning new technologies across the spectrum of thought seemed to beckon to the inquisitive people of this planet.

But none of those dreams were to be realized. On the 216th day of the 1173rd Khalmisian year, the world ended. 

Within a few seconds, the entire planet imploded. There was not time for the doomed people to even fathom their fate. For one second Khalmis was an Earthlike world with over half a billion lives upon its surface, the next second it was a mass of festering molten rock mixing with the steaming remains of the atmosphere. 

The orb, which had hit the planet at a speed a few thousand times the speed of light didn't even notice the destruction it had wrought. However, the planet, and the three asteroid fields in the solar system started the process that eventually would slow the orb's speed.

**== * SM *==**

The mote wandered almost aimlessly through space looking for some place…any place that was quiet. But here in this cluttered universe there was no respite from the assaults against the senses. Brilliant colors of distant nebulae and galaxies clashed with supernovas, younger stars, and complete solar systems.

And all of them added their own cacophony to the din. Even the interstellar dust pecked at the silence as it flowed past, carried on the interstellar winds, and those too made nose.

After some time, the mote began to think that perhaps it would never again see the dark folds of its home, never again hear the nothingness of complete and utter silence.

While obsessing over its loss, the mote nearly missed the howl of pain that arose from somewhere nearby. Since fleeing from that putrid blue-green ball when it had first entered this place, the mote had not heard a single distinct sound, and as much as it was repulsed by the new noise, curiosity overrode both obsession and repulsion and the mote went to investigate.

The mote didn't have to travel far before it saw a sphere floating through space. It was surrounded by a swirling blue energy that crackled as it flowed over the surface of the sphere, which was scorched from something the mote could not identify.

Well, as much as the mote's curiosity was aroused, the small round thing was just another noisy disturbance, so it started to head off in search of refuge.

"STOP!" A voice thundered through the mote. "I SENSE YOUR PAIN…YOU WANT REFUGE…SILENCE FROM THIS PLACE."

The mote agreed, and thought to make its agreement known to the spherical shape it assumed had spoken. Through the thought came action, and the mote spoke for the first time in its existence. 

"Yes," it said. 

"I CAN AID YOU," thundered the sphere. "I CAN HELP YOU FIND THE SILENCE."

The mote was overwhelmed with joy. Finally it would again find shelter in the all-encompassing silence.

"FOR A PRICE…"

Having never interacted with another thing, the mote was confused, and this flashed through its thoughts.

"YOU WILL HELP ME," the orb said. "IN RETURN, I WILL GIVE YOU THE POWER TO FIND WHAT YOU SEEK."

"What must I do?" the mote asked.

It was simplistic really. The mote discovered that the object it was assisting was called the Orb of Chaos, that it was injured, and the mote could indeed help in the healing. All it needed to do was to throw some of its own material onto the orb to form a bandage. Unfortunately, it would take a lot of material to complete the process.

The mote spent time absorbing dust from the space around it. Then, once the material was converted into usable stuff, it was shot toward the orb.

The black ichor splattered against the flowing blue energy cascading around the orb, and globs of the pasty oil-colored substance were flung into space.

The mote continued its work, tolerating the noises in the background in the knowledge that they would soon be silenced. Forever.

The oily blob floated amidst the interstellar dust like a leaf on the surface of a river. It was a small part of what had been within the mote. As such, it was barely conscious, barely intelligent, and it barely noticed that it was floating toward the blue-green planet until too late. Then it barely noticed that it was flying through the atmosphere…

** **

**== * SM *==**

Auckland, New Zealand2:30 am

The man in the late-model car listened to the thub-thub-thub his car was making. In the dim night sky, he could still see the tilt of the hood sinking limply to the right.

The man pulled over to the curb and fell back in his seat. With a growl, he slapped at the steering wheel and stared forlornly out the driver's side window. Because of this, he didn't see the yellowish spear of light shoot down and impact less than a block away.

The man got out of his car and took the spare tire and a lug wrench from the trunk. Soon his deep into the task of changing his flat tire.

His back was to the oily black ooze that flowed toward him from the darkened alley. When it got a few feet away from the man, it launched itself at it. Before the man had time to scream, the ooze had dissolved him and was happily assimilating him. It converted muscles and bones and organs to grow its mass. Then it absorbed the man's brain.

If it had been larger to begin with, the absorption of the human brain would have immediately transformed it into sentience. As it was, the brain cells were soon scattered uniformly throughout the ooze like a gestalt of one-celled intelligences. Then a small quiver of energy coursed through the entity, and through an act programmed into it from before its "birth", this particular acquired all of the "brains" it was ever going to get.

The ooze flowed away from the now-ownerless car. It was an animal. It was an animal that knew that it could assume rudimentary shapes for a limited amount of time, and it knew that it could grow by absorbing more biomass.

It also knew that it was hungry.

**== * SM *==**

New Zealand National Crime Center – Pegasus Project

Four Weeks Later

"I don't see why we're involved here," Rachel complained as she looked around at the rows of computers that comprised this "nerve center" of the Pegasus Project. Through a door to her right she could see other Luna Foundation personnel as they were shown around the file room, a cavernous place filled almost to the brim with musty old boxes full of files on everything from crimes committed by state intelligence bureaus to the activities of the world's serial killers. All of that was too much for Rachel, who had quickly vacated the room.

A concerned Amy had followed her.

"Are you all right?" Amy asked. "You don't look very well."

"It's nothing," Rachel replied as she strode across the control room toward the flight of stairs. 

"Well then," Amy said grabbing Rachel's arm. "You won't mind if your friendly neighborhood doctor scans you real quick." With that, she produced a scanner from her lab coat and waved it slowly in front of Rachel. Then she fished a portable data recovery unit from her coat and plugged the scanner into its data port. The results popped up onto a small screen.

"Ah," Amy said. "You have…"

Quickly Rachel lunged forward and covered Amy's mouth.

"Don't say it…" Rachel said. Then realizing that she was in close physical contact with a person who was technically a superior, she let go.

"You're claustrophobic," Amy whispered.

"Yes," Rachel hissed as she started to walk up the stairs. "Now, would you mind dropping it?"

"Certainly," Amy replied as she too climbed the stairs. "Doctor-patient privilege."

Rachel leaned on the metal railing at the top of the stairs and looked out over the room. To both sides, stairs led down to the control room, but she could hear the quiet bustle of people doing their jobs, sending out information about criminal activity throughout the world. 

Amy settled into a similar perch over the railing next to her protégé.

"I don't see why we're involved here," Rachel complained as she looked around at the rows of computers that comprised this "nerve center" of the Pegasus Project.

"The Pegasus Project is possibly the next step in crime fighting," Amy replied. "Where Interpol and the FBI dealt with crimes that affected their citizens or their nation and the intelligence services deal with covert ops to defend their nations, the Luna Foundation is hoping that the Pegasus Project will be sort of a combination of both and available to all who need it."

"Oh," Rachel said, although the tone in her voice said that perhaps she wasn't buying it. "I have a question."

"Yes," came the reply.

"If a certain bit of information that a certain person knows is as dead on as this certain person thinks it is, why are we bothering? After all in a few months there won't be anyone here to worry about this sort of thing."

"First off," Amy said sternly, "we are not supposed to be talking about that around people who don't already know about it, and secondly, the Luna Foundation is not about to sit around and sulk when there is valuable work that can be done, are we clear?"

Rachel's answer was cut off when the doors behind them opened and a gray-haired man walked in.

"Ah!" Commissioner Frederick Davies exclaimed. "I thought I might find you two here. Checking out the work that your people are doing. Allow me again to thank you for putting this facility here, and let me say that Prime Minister Bellingham is pleased as well."

"On behalf of Her Majesty's government, we again accept your compliment," Amy said pleasantly.

"Yeah," Rachel thought. "Especially when Her Majesty's government has enough money to underwrite the entire planet for the next few centuries."

"I am glad that I found you," Davies said, his voice more serious. "It seems I have a mystery for you. A number of people in the Auckland area have disappeared almost without a trace."

"What do you mean, 'almost'?" Amy asked.

"A couple people were driving their cars, so we have more clues on where the attacks took place. There were also bone fragments taken from a couple of the locations."

"How many are we dealing with?" Rachel asked.

"Six."

"Any patterns?" Amy asked.

"Not really," Davies replied, "but the attacks all happened in a three-block square area in the run-down area of the city."

"Rachel, get Sandra and the others and head out to that area," Amy ordered. "I have a hunch that whatever it is, it hasn't left the vicinity. I'll report in, then join you."

"Gotcha," Rachel said.

**== * SM *==**

Auckland, New Zealand

Near Dusk

"So, you're telling me that whatever it is we are looking for is not even remotely human?" Sailor Moon said as she walked down the street, scanning the area for signs of something amiss.

"Yes," Amy replied simply.

"How do you know this?" Sailor Moon asked.

"The bone shards have a residue on them," Amy said. "We are assuming this residue came from the attacker and it shows that whatever it was, it was not human."

"Which is why we are involved instead of the police," Sailor Mon replied.

"And the thing is usually active during the night, based on what the authorities have been able to gather from the people in this area," Amy said. "So, we're hoping that six people in a relatively small area will be a sufficient lure."

"We're bait?" Sailor Moon asked, looking startled.

"I'm glad you agreed to this plan," Amy replied.

"Wait a minute," Sailor Moon said turning to the older woman. "I didn't agree to be bait for this thing."

At that point, Sailor Moon's wrist-com beeped at her and she pressed the small button on it.

"Yes?"

"This is Sailor Mars, I think I've found it, but I also think it saw me."

"I'll be right there," Sailor Moon said. Turning to Amy, she glared. "Alert the rest of the team."

"Get here quickly," Sailor Mars said, fear seeping into her voice. "It definitely saw me."

"Damn," Sailor Moon said as she broke into a run toward where Sailor Mars had been searching.

Sailors Mercury, and Venus had arrived by the time Sailor Moon reached the scene – a U-shaped building that had definitely seen better days. It didn't help that the ooze had decided to make the building its home, and seemed to be inhabiting the second floor of the four-story structure.

All of that was speculation. As Amy and Sailor Moon arrived, they could see the ooze crawling toward the other Sailors, and they could see that part of it was still flowing down the building and across a small concrete lot.

"How did something that big get past the authorities?" Sailor Moon asked.

"According to my data," Amy replied as she checked her computer, "the building is listed as abandoned. Probably only a few homeless use it for shelter." Then she turned her computer on the still-advancing ooze and ran a scan with the push of a few buttons.

"Oh God…" she said when the results came back.

"What is it?" Sailor Moon asked.

"These readings match the readings the computer has for the Wiseman!" Amy exclaimed. "Whatever that is, it is definitely evil!"

"That settles it," Sailor Moon said. "Time to fry us a badguy…" With that, she reached up to her forehead and pulled off her tiara."

"MOON TIARA MAGIC!"

The tiara arced outward and slammed into the surface of the ooze. After a few seconds, it emerged and sailed back into Sailor Moon's hand. The ooze continued to move forward.

"I'm guessing that didn't work," Sailor Moon growled.

"Yeah," replied Sailor Venus, "but this will….VENUS WHIP!"

A whip handle appeared in Sailor Venus' right hand, and with a flick of her wrist, she sent the weapon's energy ribbon forward at the ooze. It slapped against the ooze and the area surrounding where it hit glowed briefly, but that was all. 

"Well," Venus said disgustedly, "that was certainly effective."

Then Sailor Jupiter and Tuxedo Mask flashed into view nearby. 

"Thanks for the ride," Tuxedo Mask said to Jupiter, who nodded briefly before joining the other Sailors.

"You gave him a ride?" Sailor Moon asked.

"Leonard is no King Endymion," Sailor Jupiter replied quietly.

As if he had heard Jupiter, Tuxedo Mask pulled one of his roses from within his cape and hurled it at the ooze. It stuck in the oily mess several inches from its front edge.

"If my predecessor were here, no doubt he'd say something that'd be totally lost on this creature!" Tuxedo Mask shouted. "I…" But then he saw the creature absorb the rose and continue forward.

"MARS FIRE IGNITE!" A gust of fire rippled forth from Sailor Mars and seemed to scorch the ooze, but when the fire vanished, the Sailors could see no ill effects.

The Sailors had slowly but steadily been backing up during this battle and were now nearly out of room. The back of the building behind them was only a few feet away and still the ooze advanced.

"Why is it so slow?" Sailor Mars asked. "Didn't they say this thing was faster?"

"Be glad it isn't," Sailor Jupiter quipped.

"It's probably the size of the entity that has slowed it," Amy replied.

A shower of sparks erupted as the ooze reached Sailor Mercury and tried to grab her foot. The only thing stopping that was the energy shield that Amy had ordered each of them to wear before leaving the Pegasus Project. Each person's shield would buy them a few minutes of direct contact with the creature, but Sailor Mercury could already see the rippling disturbance in her shield, as though someone threw a rock into a lake.

"Uhm, guys," she said. "I think a little haste would be nice about now!"

"MARS FIREBIRD STRIKE!" The huge phoenix-like energy bolt leapt from Sailor Mars and seemed to burn a large area of the ooze, but when the attack faded, there was no change. 

"How did you defeat the Wiseman?" Sailor Moon shouted toward Amy.

"Princess Serena and Rini used two Silver Crystals and overloaded the power of the Dark Crystal," came the reply.

"Well," Sailor Moon said. "I don't have a spare Silver Crystal around, but then again, this is not exactly the Wiseman we are facing." With that she raised her hand in the air.

"MOON STAFF!" 

Light flared and the Moon Staff, a longer version of the Moon Scepter appeared in Sailor Moon's hands.

Sailor Moon leveled the staff toward the ooze, which was about at her feet. 

"MOON HEALING ACTIVATION!"

The circle of light that the elder Sailor Moon would have traced with the Moon Wand instead shot forth from the tip of the staff and flowed into the ooze.

The ooze moved forward…not as fast as before. Not as fast as it would have preferred, but the two-legged prey had retreated backward and were now trapped. They now could not flee without being caught. 

As they retreated, the two-legged ones brandished various weapons and assaulted the body, but the body was strong. The weapons of the prey were useless, and in fact, the small red and green colored one had been assimilated. There was nothing these prey could do except die and become a part of the body. The body had already caught one and was feeding off of the energy surrounding it. The energy was weakening, and soon it would crack this shell and feast.

There was nowhere for the other prey to run either, and one by one they too would be consumed.

Then a bright light flared from one of the prey, and unlike the other weapons, the effects of this one were felt throughout the body. It was not a painful sensation, but one that weakened the body nonetheless. 

It doubled its efforts to grab its prey but it could already feel a numbness around the perimeter of its being…

"The creature was clearly affected by that attack!" Amy yelled.

"Then we need something bigger," Sailor Moon said as she opened her locket and allowed the Silver Crystal to float into her hands. 

"Sailor Moon," called Sailor Mercury. "I can't move!"

"Have no fear," Sailor Moon said calmly. "We will come to you." The other Sailor soldiers gathered behind Sailor Moon and linked hands. It was not quite as efficient because of the energy shields around each of them, but Sailor Moon knew she could adjust for that. She knew she could.

Sailor Moon reached out mentally and sensed each of her comrades as they closed their eyes. "Trust me," she said mentally to them. "Clear your minds, and let your power flow like a river into a lake. Focus on that, and focus on me…"

Almost involuntarily, each Sailor whispered "Sailor Moon" as her mind relinquished her powers to the control of their leader.

With a flash, the energy shield surrounding Sailor Mercury disappeared and the ooze collapsed onto her foot, absorbing her boot almost instantly. Sailor Mercury screamed in pain and that pain was transmitted to all of the Sailors.

"Focus!" Sailor Moon shouted. Then mentally: "Focus on me! Not the pain! Me!" Sailor Moon mentally reached out to each of them, but she could not find Sailor Mercury in the link. 

Sailor Mercury reeled just outside of unconsciousness from the pain, yet somehow focused enough to channel her powers. She knew what she was about to do would hurt about as much as what the ooze had done, but it was either suffer a self-inflicted wound or certain death.

"Damn oil slick," she grumbled as she pointed her arms down at her foot. "MERCURY ICE BUBBLES FREEZE!" The air filled with bubbles and Sailor Mercury could feel the air solidify around her foot. She figured it would still not stop the ooze, but when she tugged on her foot, it broke free. Apparently her hunch had been right. The intense cold had slowed it down to the point where a sudden jerk would free her. 

Sailor Mercury tried to clear her mind and joined hands again with her friends.

Sailor Moon mentally held on to the raw power that her friends had given to her and gently pulled her hands free of the other women so that she could aim the Silver Crystal. Its facets glowed with a reddish-white hue as she watched it…a constant reminder of her less than pure spirit…and a reminder that the Silver Crystal understood this fault and had made certain adjustments for it. "Use your powers for good, Grasshopper," was a thought that flittered through her mind before she cleared her throat to regain her focus and concentrated on the power and the Silver Crystal.

Then she was ready, and just before she spoke, Sailor Moon opened herself to the power that her friends had collected for her.

"COSMIC MOON POWER!"

The collected energy of the Sailor soldiers flowed through Sailor Moon and she in turn channeled the energy through the Silver Crystal. A pale red beam of energy shot forth from the Silver Crystal and slammed into the ooze…

A pang of victory reverberated through the body as the energy surrounding one of the prey faded and the body finally made contact. New energy flowed into the body and it continued toward the other prey, who had gathered into a convenient clump. It barely noticed the puny attack the one prey used against it.

Then a brilliant shaft of light shot out and hit the body. Again, this was not a painful experience, but suddenly the numbness that it felt around the edge of the body exploded toward the center. In fact, after the first few moments, it could not feel the prey it had captured anymore. It tried to extend itself further to again grasp its prey, but it could not seem to move the body in that direction.

Frustration rippled through the body as it tried in vain to expand. Instead, it was soon forced to rapidly contract. However, that frustration combated against a new sensation…one that the body had never felt before….

"You're doing it, Sailor Moon!" Sailor Venus shouted.

Sailor Moon could see this. The ooze was completely gone from the building that had been its home and it was contracting quickly. Still, she kept her concentration on controlling the power flowing through her, and the healing beam continued to bombard the creature.

Soon, the creature was roughly the size of a loaf of bread, and Sailor Moon released the beam. The creature then did something unexpected.

The rippling form of the ooze contracted itself and formed a new shape. Blooming red and green from a small black base, a solemn rose stood alone on the concrete lot.

Sailor Moon let out a slight gasp before the color faded from the flower, and its now black form crumbled to dust.

As the other Sailors looked on in silence, Sailor Moon moved forward. Kneeling, she pulled a small plastic packet from her uniform and scooped a bit of the dust into it. Standing, she then looked down at the remains in silence for a moment before joining her friends, who were already starting to walk away.

**== * SM *==**

The Moon Palace – South Balcony

Later That Evening

Sandra was looking out at the Earth, nestled among the sea of stars when she was disturbed by a quiet voice.

"I was told you might be here," the voice said.

"Hello, mother," Sandra replied quietly.

"Is that it," Neo-Queen Serenity said as she joined her daughter at the balcony. "Just, 'hello, mother'?"

"I'm sorry," Sandra replied. "I just don't feel like talking right now."

"Well then just listen," came the reply. "The lab results came back from that sample you brought back. They found that the monster you fought was a 'free-flowing form possessing limited intelligence and a remedial shapeshift ability' to quote Amy'."

"You mimicked her good," Sandra remarked.

"That comes with having known her for years," Neo-Queen Serenity said. "There was something else."

"Yes?"

"Amy said that her scanner readings were not the same as they were when the fight started. She said that the creature seemed to read as the Wiseman to her scanners."

"Yes."

"That's not what it reads now," Neo-Queen Serenity said. "It reads almost completely free of negative energy. However, Amy said that the creature didn't have the intelligence to truly be good or evil, and it did not know what to do with the new emotions the Silver Crystal was feeding it."

"And that means?" Sandra asked.

"I know you've been blaming yourself for the past couple of fights," Neo-Queen Serenity. "Know this: you should not blame yourself for either of them. In both fights, you did what you had to do, and in both fights, you did the right thing."

"That doesn't make how they ended any easier," Sandra said.

"There were times when I felt the same way after defeating an enemy," Neo-Queen Serenity replied. "Sometimes there just isn't enough good in the monsters to save them. When that happens, the best way to relieve their suffering is to destroy them. You've got to quit blaming yourself and hoping that the job of Sailor Moon will get easier, because if that ever happens, then it is time for you to quit doing it. Being Sailor Moon should never be easy."

"It's a tough job," Neo-Queen Serenity said. "And it's a job you do very well."

Mother and daughter then hugged tightly. When they broke the embrace, Sandra said, "I need to go see Rachel…see how she's doing."

"I'm sure she'll enjoy the visit," Neo-Queen Serenity said. She watched her daughter walk away, then turned to gaze out at the stars.

**== * SM *==**

In Deep Space

The mote looked at the large spiky thing that it had created and pleasure flowed through it. Soon it would use the orb and this crystalline form to bring the silence upon this noisy universe.

The Orb of Chaos apparently sensed the thoughts of the mote, because it replied: "I WILL BE USED BY NO ONE. YOU HAVE HEALED ME, AND NOW I WILL GRANT YOU THE POWER TO FIND THIS SILENCE THAT YOU SEEK. WE WILL WORK TOGETHER…AGREED?"

The mote agreed.

"GOOD," the Orb said.

Then a beam erupted from the Orb and flowed over the mote. "YOU HEALED ME WITH A MATERIAL CAPABLE OF SUSTAINING LIFE," the Orb said, and the words flowed into every recess of the mote's being. 

"I WILL IN TURN USE THAT SAME MATERIAL TO GIVE YOU THE FORM YOU NEED TO BRING THE SILENCE UPON THIS UNIVERSE!"

And it was true. The mote could feel itself growing larger. "WILL YOURSELF TO ATTAIN A SHAPE, AND IT WILL BE YOURS!" Scanning through its most recent memories, the mote found a suitable form…a form that would strike fear in the hearts of those who cluttered this universe with their incessant noise.

Finally, the bean from the Orb of Chaos disappeared. With a quick flash, a sky-blue crystal ball floated into being. "USE THIS SCRYING DEVICE IN YOUR QUEST! USE IT TO SUMMON MY POWER!"

The entity that had been the mote accepted the gift from the orb.

"ARISE…WISEMAN!"

And for the first time in its existence, the Wiseman laughed.

- FINI

Fanfic ã2001 – John Brengman and Artemis Publishing 

Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, 

ã 1992 by Toei Animation Co Ltd. and based on Kodansha's

manga production of "Sailor Moon", written by Naoko Takeuchi

This fanfic is freely distributed. 

Release date: April 23, 2001

Edited: April 23, 2001


	28. SX#28 - The Legion of Evil

Sailor X #28

Sailor X #28The Legion of Evil

By: John Brengman

Edited by: Thomas Schell

Before the Fall of the Silver Millennium

While the story of Queen Beryl and her invasion of the Moon Kingdom is well known, the evil Queen and her four generals could not have accomplished the chaos they did without additional help. With much of Earth under her control, Beryl created several warriors from the very elements, and used these warriors in the final push to conquer Earth.

After the conquest was complete, the generals turned their attention to the Moon Palace while the elemental warriors mopped up resistance and ravaged the populace.

With the last of her strength, Queen Serenity saved the royal court, sending them into the distant future to be reborn in a time of peace. Her act of cleansing also saved Earth. As Beryl and her forces her being sealed in the Negaverse, the elemental warriors were encased in shards of crystal and buried in the Earth.

Her strength gone, Queen Serenity laid down among the wreckage as her life seeped away from her, safe in the knowledge that her sacrifice had saved the future.

_ _

**== * SM *==**

The Present Day…

Mayon Volcano – Republic of the Philippines

Everything happened quickly…much too quickly..

First it was a mist that local villagers could easily mistake for wispy low-laying clouds. The steam quickly increased however, soon becoming a torrent gray smoke that belched from the mountain and rose ominously into the sky. 

Volcanic activity had become more frequent recently, not just here, but in Asia, Japan, and in the Americas, so a normal volcanic eruption would not take anyone in the villages surrounding the Mayon volcano by surprise.

But this was not a normal eruption. Already the mountain had displayed activity that would take days to build into normally. Hurried phone calls were made to the authorities in Manila. Within minutes of the call, a U.N. helicopter equipped with a sensor probe rose from the tarmac at the old Clark Airfield and headed toward the scene.

The mountain continued its metamorphosis. The smoke billowing from the summit had turned a sooty black and now and then, a fleck of molten red could be seen as a splattering of lava was released from deep within the core of the rumbling mountain.

The U.N. helicopter landed at a village near the mountain long enough for a three-man team to jump off. A panic had started and these people would help the local police evacuate people in as orderly a manner as possible. As the helicopter lifted off, a couple with an infant braved the man-made windstorm of the whirling rotor blades to shout a question to the U.N. workers, who answered by shaking their heads and pointing to the mountain. As if to confirm their answer, the helicopter soon was airborne and it continued on its way to the blackened skies near the mountain.

Lava now splattered from the mountain to land randomly on the rocky ridgelines leading to the summit.

The helicopter made a wide banking turn and started to circle the mountain. Attached to the bottom of the craft, a small cylindrical device hummed and beeped to itself as it sampled the surrounding air and snapped digital pictures of the volcano.

Having completed a circle around the volcano, the pilot now brought the helicopter low and edged it toward the summit. Once in position, he spared a look down and looked into Hell.

Steam billowed from several places within the crater of the mountain, while black smoke drifted from some of the larger fissures. Lava ran in rivulets and collected in pools, bubbling and frothing, adding its own steam to the mix.

The sensor on the helicopter took all this in and the co-pilot looked over some of the telemetry. "What the hell," he muttered. 

"What is it?" The pilot asked as he looked at the screen, at the spot the co-pilot was pointing to.

In the northwest corner of the volcano, surrounded by fire, was a yellow oval that seemed to be reflecting the nearby light.

Just then, a gout of lava shot out of the mountain, splattering the helicopter. The pilot had a split second to react, and he jerked back on the control stick. The helicopter swiftly jumped upward and the lava missed the rotors. Soon, the pilot had his craft flying through the open air over the island jungle.

"That was close," the co-pilot breathed.

"Too close," the pilot replied. "We took some damage. We may have to ditch the chopper. You'd better transmit what we found."

"Can you keep her in the air that long?" The co-pilot asked, a hint of concern coloring his voice.

"I think so," came the response.

The co-pilot pressed a button on his panel, and a new light appeared on the probe as it transmitted its data to Clark Airfield.

== * **SM *==**

The Mayon Volcano eruption was not the only bizarre incident to happen on the planet that day.

Wisps of clouds formed over the central Pacific. Within an hour, a typhoon was bearing down on Philippine island of Luzon. Three hours after its birth, the coast of China east of Hong Kong was feeling the brunt of the storm. The typhoon continued westward, and strengthened. Two hours later, it was over Hanoi, with winds breaking the record for the highest winds ever recorded.

The people of the coastal regions of Oregon and Washington were familiar with earthquakes. When the first tremors were felt, people reacted almost as if they were acting by rote. 

The rumblings intensified, and then doubled in strength quickly after that. People as far south as the Klamath region and as far north as Vancouver braced themselves for what they thought was going to be a strong earthquake.

They underestimated the quake's ferocity and duration. Six hours later, geologists in the region were still picking up Richter Scale readings of 8.5 or higher.

A tornado touched down north of Topeka, Kansas. Although the people in the area were concerned and took steps to protect themselves, the general consensus was that this would be a normal tornado that would probably make the local newscasts.

The people watched with amazement as the tornado moved with incredible slowness, destroying everything in its path. A weather plane sent up to get readings on the tornado came back with wind speed readings that were off the scale.

== * **SM *==**

The Luna Foundation

Crystal Palace Observatory

"Have you seen these reports?" Sandra asked as she waved a handful of papers at Amy.

Amy looked up from the computer station she was at, and the bank of monitors suspended in a row above her.

"Yes," she said. "Some of these readings are astounding.

"Anything else?" Sandra asked.

"Each incident has some facet of it that is not natural," Amy replied evenly. "A volcano going from no activity at all to a full eruption, an earthquake that lasts for more than six hours, and the wind and velocity of the tornado in Kansas…all of these are extraordinary."

Sandra gazed at Amy for a moment as the computers hummed and clicked in the background.

"There's more, isn't there?"

"Yes," Amy said as she glanced at the monitors. She touched a button, and the monitors changed. On each monitor was a scene from each of the bizarre weather phenomena. On each scene was a circular object that seemed to meld into the surrounding scene and stand out from it at the same time.

"That looks like an egg," Sandra said softly as she examined the monitors.

"Artemis," Amy said, "scan all databases for matches based on the data on the observatory data stations." She waited as the computer did its work. A button started to flash and the computer beeped along with it, signaling that the work was finished.

Amy pressed the flashing button and the computer cleared the monitors. A message flashed.

ONE RELEVANT MATCH – NEGAVERSE DATABASE

EGGS OF THE ELEMENTAL WARRIORS

"An 'Elemental Warrior'?" Sandra asked. "Never heard of them."

"Neither have I," Amy muttered. "Artemis, give details on the data match."

The computer spoke:

"The Elemental Warriors were created by Queen Beryl to assist in the conquest of 

Earth during the attack on the Moon Palace. The Elemental Warriors were designed 

to be formidable opponents to the Moon Kingdom, and invulnerable to any weaponry 

of the time period.

The Elemental Warriors were successful. The forces loyal to the Moon Kingdom were 

defeated as the Moon Palace fell."

"Great," Sandra said as she finished reading. "It sounds like we're about to have a thousand-year old rematch."

== * **SM *==**

The Philippines

The crystal egg shattered under the intense heat of the fiery volcano and a giant human-shaped lava creature crawled from the smoldering crater and started to trudge down the mountain.

The wind ruffled through her skirt as Sailor Mercury landed on the sandy beach next to Sailor Neptune. The shuttle that had flown the Sailors to the Philippines quickly lifted off and glided out over the ocean toward its next destination.

The Sailors glanced around the peaceful scene around them, with the ocean's waves gently washing over the white sands of the beach as the sun baked the area with its rays.

"So," Sailor Mercury growled gruffly, not seeing any enemy to fight, "where is the big ugly monster we're supposed to take down?"

A decidedly monstrous-sounding howl erupted from the jungle trees nearby.

"He's that way," Sailor Neptune said as she pointed to the jungle. "Don't worry though. It's coming this way."

== * **SM *==**

" It's coming this way!" Sailor Mars shouted as she dropped to the ground behind a water tank in the Vietnamese city of Hanoi. A short distance away, her mentor popped her head around the corner of a ramshackle shed and nodded briefly. 

"MARS FIRE IGNITE!" Sailor Mars yelled as the elder Mars chimed in with "MARS CELESTIAL FIRE SURROUND!" The twinned attacks poured in on the water monster and soon there was a thick layer of steam covering the area.

"Is it gone?" Mars asked as she waved a hand through the murkiness. Suddenly a watery hand reached from the fog and grabbed her. Sailor Mars screamed as she was pulled into the sky.

"My guess is 'no'," the elder Mars said quietly, then unleashed another fire attack. The monster roared in apparent pain and the fog grew thicker.

"That almost hit me!" Sailor Mars yelled. 

"Well," came the shouted retort, "why don't YOU try something!"

"I will!" Mars yelled back.

The elder Mars was about to say something else when suddenly she heard her pupil shout, "MARS PHOENIX!" She was immediately sheathed in an angry field of fire.Screams of agony were torn from her mouth as the fire scorched her skin. The elder Mars could do nothing except watch and hope that her student had learned to focus herself enough to fight through the difficult transformation. Her faith in her student was rewarded when the fog evaporated, seared away by the heat of the flaming bird that hung in the air between the elder Mars and the water elemental.

"MARS FIRESTORM FLASH!" A torrent of fire erupted from the younger Mars and speared the water monster. A cloud of steam billowed out and Mars lost sight of it.

Suddenly a black form leapt away from the fog. It flew down toward Sailor Mars, who had to throw herself to the ground to dodge it. The elder Mars answered with: "MARS CELESTIAL FIRE SURROUND!" Her incendiary blast slashed through the spectral form as it started to fly away. The shadowy figure seemed to be unaffected.

As the fog flowed away the two senshi of fire looked up into the night sky where the spectral monster disappeared.

"Where is it going?" Sailor Mars asked her mentor.

"I don't know," the elder Sailor Mars replied quietly, "but the others will want to know." With that, the two women started to walk toward the edge of the collection of water tanks and the road that would take them to the airport.

== * **SM *==**

Shuttle 2 in Earth orbit…

"Sailor Moon, this is the Luna Foundation," a voice spoke over the shuttle's audio system.

Sailor Moon flipped a switch. "Sailor Moon, reporting from Shuttle 2," she said.

"The other Sailors have reported in," the voice said. "The enemy monsters have retreated, in a way. Each monster has fled their battles using a gas-like form. Lunar sensors show that they are heading toward a small island in the southern Pacific Ocean."

"They're trying to get away," Sailor Moon said calmly.

"Or perhaps they are regrouping for another attack," said the voice. "The Sailors also reported that they've had to use their most powerful attacks to drive the monsters away."

"Thanks for the info," Sailor Moon said as she turned the nose of the shuttle downward toward the blue-green planet it was circling. "That could be quite useful."

== * **SM *==**

"SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!"

"VENUS CRESCENT BEAM SMASH!"

"MOON ZERO MAGIC!"

"MARS FLAME SNIPER!"

"MARS CELESTIAL FIRE SURROUND!"

"JUPITER GRAVITON POWER!"

"DEEP SUBMERGE!"

"DEAD SCREAM!"

The simultaneous attacks of the senshi arrayed against the remains of the monster erupted from the heroic warriors and quickly enveloped the pulsating villain. It disappeared within the swirling energies that cascaded around it.

"We got it!" Sailor Mars shouted.

"Not so fast," Neptune muttered and the elder Mars nodded her head in agreement. As if on cue, the monster emerged from the slowly-dying torrent of celestial energies. The monster now was a combination of all of the villains the Sailors had fought to this point. The head of the beast swirled with an angry clump of fire. One arm was barely visible, but it had swung at Sailor Mercury, and even when it missed, Mercury was sent flying by the accompanying gust of wind.

The other arm of the creature was made of water, and the two legs looked like piles of sod.

The creature bellowed and blew a gust of smoky air at the Sailors, who tried to shield their eyes against the acrid onslaught.

"Damn!" Sailor Jupiter yelled. "I thought we had it too! Our combined attacks…"

Mercury had pulled out her computer and was busy scanning the monster as a gust of wind ruffled her hair. "There is an energy field around the monster that dampens any single attack that hits it. Our attacks were launched simultaneously, but they hit the creature at different times, and the energy field was able to dampen each attack."  
"What do we do?" Sailor Moon shouted over the din of the artificial wind.

"Separately, we can perhaps get separate attacks to hit the monster at the same time," Mercury said. "What we need is for all of our powers to hit the monster at the exact same time. The combined energy should overload the field surrounding the creature."

The Sailors easily put some space between themselves and the lumbering monster and then they gathered around Sailor Moon as she brought her staff up and held it above her head….

"MOON CRISIS POWER!"

A soft white light flowed in on Sailor Moon, and she basked in its warm glow as it cascaded over her. When she opened her eyes, she saw that she wore a silky white dress with gold embroidery along its edges. The thin crown of the crown princess of the Moon Kingdom sat lightly atop her head. 

Having completed the transformation, Princes Sandra shouted, "MOON STAFF!" A golden light flared and the Moon Staff, appeared in her hands just long enough for her Silver Crystal to glide from the top of the finely-crafted artifact and into her hands.

Princess Sandra raised the Silver Crystal into the air and mentally searched out her friends nearby. The jewel in each of the tiaras that the Sailors wore flared to life as each warrior gave a small portion of her powers to help Princess Sandra control the Silver Crystal and ready the attack on the monster.

After all of the Sailors had quietly acknowledged the lending of their power, Sandra looked up and held the Silver Crystal between the advancing monster and herself.

"You are a perversion of the pureness of the elements," she said, "created by evil to spread chaos and destruction. Now the evil that created you is no more, and you must join her in that oblivion! In the name of the Moon, I shall punish you!"

The Crystal flashed an angry red, and glowed brightly like the setting sun.

Princess Sandra concentrated on what she needed the Crystal to do and then concentrated on her words…

"MOON CRYSTAL POWER!"

The Silver Crystal flashed, then a brilliant beam of light surged from the crystal and washed over the energy field around the monster. Waves of amber washed over the protective dome over the monster, then cracks appeared. Suddenly, the dome-like field collapsed and the energy of the Crystal flowed in on the creature. The creature let out an agonized scream as it was simply washed away under the tide of the Crystal's energy.

As the energy from the final attack faded, the Sailors and Sandra collapsed in a tired heap on the white sands of the beach where the entire battle had taken place.

== * **SM *==**

"Welcome to FOX News Sunday, I'm Charles Zellmer. In our top story, the European Union is fractured as the government of France officially announced that it will not sign the unification treaty backed by the United Nations. France joins several countries in south and eastern Europe and northern Africa in a coalition that opposes the unification treaty, which is designed to bring the nations of the world under a single world government in order to combat the current environmental crisis.

The European Coalition as it is called, joins similar groups of nations in southeast Asia and South America…"

Fanfic ã2001 – John Brengman and Artemis Publishing 

Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, 

ã 1992 by Toei Animation Co Ltd. and based on Kodansha's

manga production of "Sailor Moon", written by Naoko Takeuchi

This fanfic is freely distributed. 

Release date: August 13, 2001

Edited: August 13, 2001


End file.
